The Deathly Hallows: The Other Story
by MikeyB89
Summary: A story about what everyone else, particularly the DA left at Hogwarts, was doing during Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
1. The Last Minister

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: The Other Tale

This is the tale of what happened to all the other characters while Harry, Hermione and Ron are away searching for the Horcruxes. It will feature The DA, The Order of the Phoenix and some chapters on the other minor character such as what Dean Thomas did on the run and how Percy Weasley survived at the Ministry and came around in the end. I have rated it T because it features killing, torture and violence.

Chapter 1- The Last Minister

Rufus Scrimgeour raised his glass shakily to his lips, the firelight failing to illuminate the shadows under his eyes and the dark foreboding on his heart. The rain that seemed to constantly pelt his window these days had become a solemn pounding in his head, a funeral march. The Shadows in his large office seemed to deepen by the minute. It was cold and plain, just how he liked it. When he had inherited it from Fudge it had been colourful and grandiose. Such things had never appealed to him. As he stalked around his desk he looked down at a huge pile of papers in waste basket.

They were applications for special ministerial decrees. For laws which only he would pass. No, he thought to himself, laws which only he could pass. They were not the kind of legislation he would ever associate with. He had never counted himself a muggle lover, nor had he ever campaigned for the rights of other magical creatures such as centaurs and house elves. However a lifetime of hunting Death Eaters had taught him the cruelty that was bred by such attitudes and had no sympathy for the fanaticism of lunatics like Umbridge and Yaxley. That women would probably be coming to see him soon, he thought to himself, another oh so sweetly put application to round up the centaurs or for the seizing of Gringotts from the Goblins most likely. He sighed as he strode over to the portrait of Grogan Stump, the most popular Minister for Magic ever, which hung on the wall. "I am going to die soon" he murmured half to himself and half to Grogan. "What makes you say that my boy" Grogan replied in posh but warm growl. "I feel it in my bones" replied the minister, "Well then you are most likely right poor man, if there was one thing I learnt when I was minister it was to always trust the bones of aurors". Rufus stared down into his firewhiskey as if hoping it would reveal a deadly secret in its deep red depths. 'Where did everything go wrong?' he thought to himself 'What else could I have done'. He turned his attention back to the portrait before him. "What would you have done Grogan? How would you have saved this situation?" he said in barely more than a whisper, "My dear boy" the old minister replied "I have been giving you advice for the past year and to your credit you listened to it far more than that cad Fudge, so what I would have done is very similar to what you have done, unfortunately there are some storms which we cannot weather". Rufus nodded slowly before adding "I know but I can't help feeling I could have done more."

A ringing sound behind him forced the minister out of his stupor. "What is it Elms?" he asked sharply to a portrait on the other side of the room. "I was just in my portrait on the third floor and saw Thicknesse, Umbridge and Yaxley on their way here………………..there were others with them…………cloaked and masked." Scrimgeour was back in Auror mode immediately. "Elms go to your portrait in the Muggle PM's office and tell him to poor the powder I gave him into his fireplace immediately, it should block it from the floo network," he turned to another portrait "Bones warn Kingsley, he should be in his guardroom, near the Prime Minister, tell him if I do not contact him personally in the next ten minutes he is to assume that situation A has occurred, he will understand". After this he turned to his cabinet and pulled out two folders, one entitled Harry Potter and the other The Order of the Phoenix. He threw these into the fire.

Addressing the portraits which were still present he said in a sure and steady voice "My illustrious predecessors I would like nothing more than to spend many years in office and try to at least equal your achievements, however it appears that I am about to meet you all in person." Drawing his wand he turned to face the door.


	2. A Parting of Ways

Chapter 2- A Parting of Ways 

"You're getting slow mate" Seamus Finnegan yelled over his shoulder as he raced away from his long time friend Dean.

"You're Broom is about 14 years younger than mine Shay" Dean yelled back as he willed his ancient Cleansweep 8 to catch up to Seamus's agile Nimbus 2000. Darting between two pine trees Dean cut the corner and came out right over Seamus's head. "Whoa careful mate, nearly took ma head off there" Seamus said with laugh in his voice. But Dean wasn't listening he could see Seamus's mother in the distance running out of the house beckoning frantically to them to come inside.

"What's up with her" Seamus remarked but Dean didn't reply.

Dismounting just short of the back door, Seamus stumbled towards his mum.

"What is it, what's wrong" he panted.

"Come hear for yourself" she said in a hoarse voice "just get inside." The two walked puzzled into the kitchen where an old radio stood on the table. The past two weeks since the 'resignation' of Rufus Scrimgeour had been tense ones. Even Seamus who had always remained bright while everyone else had been down had let his head drop. The dramatic changes in policy and the mysterious arrests that kept happening had alerted everyone to the fact that something was wrong. Mrs Finnegan was certainly under no illusions.

"It's more of his doing you mark my words" she said through tears "we never should have left Ireland Seamus, although I doubt it would have taken him long to reach there as well" she sobbed.

"What are you talking about Mam?" Seamus asked but she didn't need to reply, the radio gave him his answer.

'_The new Minister for Magic Pius Thicknesse carried on his excellent start as Minister today with another piece of daring legislation, The Muggle-born Register. The Ministry of Magic is undertaking a survey of so-called 'Muggle-borns', the better to understand how they came to possess magical secrets. Recent research undertaken by the Department of Mysteries reveals that magic can only be passed from person to person when wizards reproduce. Where no proven wizarding ancestry , therefore, the so-called Muggle-born is likely to have obtained magical power by theft or force. The Ministry is determined to root out such usurpers of magical power, and to this end has issued an invitation to every so-called Muggle-born to present themselves for interview by the newly appointed Muggle-born Registration Commission."_

They stood in silence for what seemed like an age. Seamus looked at his mum who had gone snowy white and had pursed her lips. She had the look of a women struggling with some great internal dilemma. Then he turned his attention to Dean and his breath caught in his throat. He had always thought of Dean as being a brave person, far braver than him, nothing had ever seemed to scare. But as he looked at the sheer terror in Dean's eyes he realised that despite all the training they had gone through in the last seven years they were still so young.

"What am I going to do Shay" he asked shakily.

"I don't know mate……….I don't know" Seamus replied. The sun had gone down now and eerie shadows had turned what before had been a welcoming and comfortable home into somewhere cold and desolate.

"We'll help him won't we Mam?" Seamus said turning to his mother. She did not answer but turned her head away as if she couldn't bare to look at him. "Won't we Mam?" Seamus repeated an air of disbelief entering his voice. He strode around the table and gripped her by the shoulders forcing her to look at him. "I know you are scared Mam but Dean is like a brother to me". She stared at him for a long time before shaking herself out of her stupor,

"Yes….yes of course we will…………..of course we'll help you Dean" she said turning to her son's friend "You cannot stay here though it isn't safe. By now they will have found every recorded Muggle-born in the Ministries files and as a student at Hogwarts it will be easy for them to find your parentage". She said striding off into the back garden.

"But Mam we can't just abandon him" Seamus yelled hurrying after her.

"Did I say anything about abandoning him" she snapped back "I merely said that he cannot stay here. There are a few things I want to get from the shed that might help you Dean, I'm afraid you might need to spend awhile in the wild, no house will be safe for at the moment, especially not your parents. I know it will be difficult Dean but……………but if your parents are still alive they will be much safer if you don't go anywhere near them………do you understand". Dean nodded, tears rolling down his face. Seamus placed his arm around his friend's shoulder, a difficult task since Dean was nearly a foot taller than him.

"I'm sure they're all right mate" he said shakily "sure of it."

"Here we are" said Mrs Finnegan triumphantly emerging from the shed with a dusty wooden box "We don't have a tent to give you, the one we had at the Quidditch World Cup was borrowed from my brother I'm afraid, this will have to do" she said pulling out an old, tiny black Umbrella.

"Mam that thing is tiny it won't even nearly keep Dean dry" said Seamus sounding annoyed.

"It's a bewitched Umbrella you idiot, when up it projects a magic field five feet around itself in all directions which water cannot get into. It will keep you dry, if not warm." She said handing it to Dean. "Other than food this is the only other thing I can give you that might be of any use" she remarked handing over a small gold watch "this was my first husbands" Seamus let out a gasp "it will grow hot when danger is near, the hotter it is the more danger you are in."

" What do you mean first husband" Seamus demanded stepping in front of dean "why have you never told me about him."

"Because it was too painful to tell you……….he was killed in the first war. Refusing to help the Death Eaters. That is why I was so opposed to the idea that You Know Who was back………I couldn't face that time and those memories returning." She straightened herself back to her usual formidable self. "Did you really think I was duped by that fool Fudge and the Daily prophet. I thought you knew me better than that Seamus". And with that she stalked back to the house. Leaving Dean and Seamus on their own.

"Where do you think you will go" Seamus asked Dean without looking at him.

"I don't know. Somewhere remote" he replied placing his hand on his friends shoulder, "I've always wanted to see what Wales is like." He joked.

"Full of Welsh people I expect" Seamus joked back before turning and pulling his oldest friend into a bear hug. Pressing his head against the taller boys chest he said "I don't if I'll ever see you again."

"Course we will……..I'll be all right" pulling away from Seamus he looked down at his friend "Give Snape hell for me"

Seamus nodded and the boys walked back to the house. Dean packed some food and whatever belongings he could into a bag and apparated into the night. Seamus stood staring at the place where his friend had just disappeared, perhaps forever, thinking of the year ahead. He would give Snape hell all right, he would join up with the rest of the DA and he would show that it wasn't just Harry, Ron and Hermione who could stand up for what was right, after all he had a promise to keep. His Mother walked up behind him.

"You have to promise me something Seamus, whatever you do keep yourself out of trouble at Hogwarts, don't you dare put yourself in danger" she said in a worried voice as if reading his thoughts.

"I'm sorry Mam" he said turning to her a defiant look in his eyes "but that would be a promise I couldn't keep."


	3. The War Council

Chapter 3- The War Council

Mrs Weasley shoved Ginny roughly ahead of her as they hurried through Kings Cross Station.

"Please walk faster Ginny, they are still watching" she whispered in a worried voice. Ginny turned her head to look behind and sure enough the men who had been tailing them since they left the burrow were following at a distance. While a few short weeks ago such pursuers would have worn muggle clothes and tried to disguise their presence from the Weasley's they now walked openly in dark robes, the new administration obviously had as little regard for the international statute of secrecy as they had for the rights of muggle-borns and blood traitors.

"I hope Harry, Ron and Hermione are ok, we haven't heard anything from them except what Lupin could tell us" Ginny murmured to her mother picking up the pace.

"Well I should think so too, there being sensible not trying to contact us, they'll be much safer if they remain off the grid. You could learn a lesson from them," she said pushing Ginny in front of her down the steps to platform nine "please be sensible at school won't you."

"I can't believe your asking me to go there and suck up to Snape and pretend everything is all right." Ginny replied angrily.

"That isn't what I am saying exactly Ginny, I'm sure you will find a way to cause some trouble in a sensible manner, just don't do anything stupid…………….that wouldn't help anyone would it." She said forcing a weak smile in her daughters direction "well here we are, through you go" she said trying to sound cheerful.

"Oh mum" Ginny said wrapping her arms around her mother who was openly crying now "I'm sure they're ok."

"Yes, yes of course they are." Mrs Weasley said nodding weakly. And after one last look up at the cloaked figures who were now standing on the bridge watching them Ginny turned around and pushed her luggage trolley through to Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Here it was raining steadily and none of the usual chatter and excitement was present in the air. There was a feeling of apprehension and fear on the platform. Ginny spotted Neville getting into a compartment near the other end of the train and pushed her trolley quickly over too it. Stepping in she found Neville, Luna and Seamus waiting for her.

"Hi guys" she said as she hauled her trunk onto the rail "Seamus where's Dean……." But the look on his face stopped her mid sentence and told her all she needed to know. Although she had ended her relationship with dean several months earlier she had dated him for over a year and the thought that he might be in Azkaban or worse….well it wasn't worth thinking about.

"Don't worry Ginny I was with him when he found out about the Muggle Registration Act, we gave him some supplies and he went into hiding, he'll be all right. Just you wait" said Seamus telling by the look on her face.

"Well that's the last straw then" Ginny said angrily sitting down as the train started to pull out from the station "I was always going to suggest we cause a little trouble this year but now, well now I think we need nothing less than rebellion, an organised resistance. You all know what I mean; we have to start the DA again." Seamus and Luna nodded but Neville didn't seem as sure.

"It won't just be teachers we have to deal with this year though. Death Eaters that's what we will be dealing with. You can bet that Snape will have bought some of his friends with him. Now I'm not going to let that scare me away from action but we have to make sure that everyone that we involve is ready to take on that level of opposition. If we don't we'll get people killed" he said. The others nodded after this sobering thought and then sat in silence for what seemed like forever. Eventually it was Seamus who broke the silence.

"We don't involve them then. We'll have a rule saying that you have to be of age or have previous Death Eater fighting experience" he added because of the look Ginny gave him "the only other way someone can join is if they absolutely have to……if they have no other choice"

Ginny and Neville nodded but Luna had sensed a problem,

"What about the people who were in the DA before, they won't be happy if we tell them they can't fight as well" she pointed out in her usual matter-of-fact way.

"I think" Never replied "that if someone who was in the DA before comes to us and asks us to let them fight, we can't do anything to stop them, but I guess what I really meant before is that we can't go around the castle recruiting people to join because they have no idea what it's like. Agreed?"

"Agreed" the other three said.

Ginny gazed out the window at the green fields that were flying by the window, now bathed in sunlight, a rare occurrence it seemed these days. They passed a field where two children were chasing each other. It seemed strange that normal life could go on at a time like this. Her own carefree childhood seemed so long ago.

"What do you think Ginny?" she snapped back to attention.

"Sorry I was miles away. What do I think about what?" she said hurredly.

"I was just saying" Seamus replied "that we come up with a very definite mission statement, you know, make it perfectly clear on what our mission is." Ginny straightened up suddenly interested,

"Like what? What would propose?" she asked. It was Neville who answered her,

"Well we have to focus where we are going to be of most use. Let's face it we are not going to be able to seize control from Snape and any cronies he may have brought with him. We can however" he said quickly noting the protest that was building on Ginny's tongue "act as a protective force for the rest of the school. Help anyone being persecuted, we could turn the Room of Requirement into a safe haven, that kind of thing."

"Sounds good" said Seamus nodding "and of course a few covert acts of sabotage couldn't hurt."

"Of course not" Neville agreed before noticing that Ginny was staring at him.

"What is it, I haven't good food on my face again have I" he said wiping his face on his robes. The others all burst out laughing, it was the first time in weeks and it felt great.

"Actually" Ginny said through giggles "I was just noticing how much you've changed……………..General."


	4. A Home Much Altered

Chapter 4- A Home Much Altered

Neville stared out over the vast grounds as his thestral-drawn carriage wound it's way up to the castle. General, that's what Ginny had called him, General, he liked the sound of that. Had he really changed that much? He didn't feel any different. He certainly didn't look different, had his personality changed? And then it hit him, he was about to enter a Hogwarts which was run by Professor Snape and he wasn't scared. A couple of years ago and that would have terrified him but now, now he was calm and ready. Ginny was right he had changed.

Luna was staring at the carriages in front. So few, she thought to herself, there were so few people in the other carriages. Her father had said that there was a high risk of Grondle attack this summer which probably would have made it unsafe for some students to get to London for the train. Of course the fact that the muggle borns wouldn't be here made a difference as well, she supposed. It was a shame Harry wouldn't be here this year, she thought looking at a group of second years giggling in the carriage in front, he had always been so nice to her. Hermione as well was a nice girl she though to herself, she would miss her too she decided, maybe not Ron though he had a very strange sense of humour.

Seamus was staring down at his feet, noticing how strangely small they were for a boy his age. What a strange thing to be thinking about he thought to himself, especially at a time like this. He was about to arrive back at Hogwarts, the place that had become his home over the last seven years, the place he had idealised all summer. Maybe that was why he couldn't look at it he thought, he had idealised it so much that he couldn't bare the thought that his perfect home was now a home much altered. That Snape's regime would shatter years of bliss.

Ginny was staring at the sky, where are you Harry? What are you doing that you couldn't tell me what it was? All she wanted at that point was for Harry to be next to her, to go back to how it had been in those last few months before Dumbledore's death. How long ago it seemed, how distant. The man who had taken that away from her was now in charge of the school and she would do all she could to make him pay for what he had done. Just as she thought this last thought her carriage stopped outside the great doors and the group piled out. They looked at each other and nodded a secret understanding and resolve now existed between the four of them.

As they stepped into the great hall they noticed how quiet it was. The hall looked mostly the same. It was just as bright and warm as it had always been. But a cold atmosphere was in the room and all the children there assembled could feel. Luna slipped off to join her fellow Ravenclaws as Ginny, Neville and Seamus joined Lavender and Pavarti at the Gryffindor table.

"Hey Guys" said Pavarti "how was your summer?"

It was such an absurdly normal thing to say after all that had happened that summer that Ginny felt like laughing.

"Oh I dunno, my brother got married but death eaters crashed the reception and we had to spend the last week of the hols in the house because we were being watched. Apart from that not much" she said with mock lightness, Pavarti laughed but Lavender stayed quiet.

"Dean's on the run" Seamus told the two girls.

"Thought he might be" Pavarti replied "And I'm guessing by their absence that Harry, Ron and Hermione are as well?"

"Yes, technically, but if anyone asks Ron is at home with Spattergroit. That's what we have told the ministry." Ginny whispered leaning forwards "so you can't tell anyone." They both nodded.

At that moment they grew aware that all the students in the hall had turned their attention towards the top table. Professor Snape had just entered from the side door behind the teachers table, and he wasn't alone. A witch and a wizard of similar height and appearance had entered just behind him, they both wore smug, sneering smiles.

"Death Eaters" Neville whispered.

"How do you know?" Seamus asked also in a whisper.

"They were a part of the group that attacked the night Dumbledore died" he replied "I saw them running out of the castle after Snape and Malfoy"

"Great" said Seamus "something tells me Defence Against the Dark Arts might be less about the defence this year and more about the Arts."

"Yeah but what other subject is open?" Ginny asked.

"Muggle studies remember, Professor Burbage 'resigned'" Pavarti said "none of them missed the sarcasm on the word resigned.

Any further conversation in the hall was soon quietened as the food had appeared on the tables. All eyes turned to Snape, everyone was used to Dumbledore's short address before eating. At first Snape didn't realise this but then gave a dismissive wave from his seat,

"Eat" he growled and the students and teachers dived into the food before them. The normal noise which accompanied the feast was absent, there was an eerie silence as the savoury vanished and the puddings appeared. Again all eyes turned to the headmaster. Snape wiped a greasy strand of hair off his face.

"Good evening" he started in his usual slow drawl "welcome to another year at Hogwarts. However this is not just another year, this is the first year in a new period of change, reform and growth. The ministry has decided that things had grown stagnant here at Hogwarts and that you had been exposed to a false and biased curriculum. Not any longer. From now on the travesty that was Defence Against the Dark Arts will be known as what it should be The Dark Arts. No more will Hogwarts hide the most delicate and powerful of wizarding abilities from you, to oversee this revolution of the subject will be a good friend of mine Professor Carrow." The male newcomer stood up his smirk even wider, only the slytherins applauded. Ginny thought she could see a tear rolling down Professor McGonagall's face and Hagrid was stony white and staring straight ahead "elsewhere I am afraid the Professor Burbage will not be returning this year to teach Muggle Studies, she was forced to resign because she held a different position on the subject to that held by the Ministry. However here to teach what is now a compulsory subject for all students is Professor Carrow's sister, Professor Carrow" again as Alecto stood only the Slytherins applauded "now to our last matter. Quidditch will resume this year as per usual, however because of certain biases exhibited in recent years Madame Hooch will no longer referee the championship games. Professor Carrow here, indicating Alecto has kindly agreed to step into the role." He sat down his speech finished not realising that everyone was still staring sat him.

"Oh for goodness sakes EAT!" he said with the same dismissive wave as before and hall returned to the puddings. Ginny turned to Seamus and Neville. They all had the same grim expression.

"There's no turning back now, the war has started"


	5. Into The Wild

Chapter 5- Into The Wild

The rain was falling thick and fast but Dean barely noticed it, the magic umbrella that Mrs Finnegan had given him had come in very useful in the week he had been in the wilderness. It was a warm night and the sky was clear, the August moon lighting up the steep hill he was climbing. As he reached the top he looked down into the small town opposite. He had done this every night for the last three days, telling himself he was doing needed surveillance on the town but really just trying to work up the courage to go down. It was definitely a muggle town, the cars moving in and out confirmed that. But that didn't mean he needn't be careful, after all he was hiding from the wizarding government, a government who couldn't now care less whether the muggles saw them or not. It was no good, he decided, he would have to go down. He was out of food and a bewitched umbrella was fine in August but what about when it got colder? He needed a tent, be it magic or muggle and the money in his muggle bank account could get it for him.

The town was fairly lively, several teenage girls staggered passed him enjoying a night out, 'they couldn't have been any older than me' Dean thought to himself as he watched them stumble off. It seemed strange to see people his age being normal, having fun. All the people he knew his age had ad to grow up long before they should have, his childhood had ended years ago. He found an wall bank and slotted his card into the machine. He withdrew all the money it contained and carried on hoping to be out of the town as soon as possible. If he had stayed one moment longer he would have noticed that seconds after he withdrew his money this particular wall bank started sliding back into the wall and brinks sprang into place behind it, pretty soon there was no trace of the wall bank.

However several hundred miles away in an office with a magical eye newly stuck in the door there was a light flashing over a spot on an extremely large map of Britain. Dolores Umbridge smiled too herself before turning to her desk and writing a message which she clipped to an owl waiting by the door.

"And be quick" she said to the owl "I think we've got one."

Dean Thomas was oblivious to this though and was in quite high spirits, he bought food and drinks enough for at least another week from a twenty four hour shop and was now looking for a camping shop where he could bye or steal a tent. 'Come on we're in the middle of nowhere' he thought to himself 'there must be a camping shop near here'. His frustration didn't last long as just five minutes later he was standing outside a small looking camping shop. It was of course closed but Dean reasoned that he could always leave some money for the shopkeeper to find the next day. It was now quite cold and he wrapped a sweater around himself as he walked across the road to the shop. A quick look around to se if anyone could see him, the road was deserted, and a whispered spell and the door clicked open.

Sliding inside he peered around the shop. The moonlight making _lumos_ unnecessary he strode over to a rack on the wall and chose a camping stove which he shoved in his bag. Rubbing his hands for warmth he walked over to a display of one and two man tents and chose one at random, 'better take a sleeping bag I don't want to be trying to sleep in this cold' he thought as he placed some money on the counter. 'It really is freezing' he thought before freezing where he was, it had been a warm night, how could the weather change so quickly? All of him was now freezing, except for his left wrist where the magic watch Mrs Finnegan had given him was burning into his hand. And then he felt it, a feeling of dark despair he had not felt since he was on the Hogwarts express at the start of his third year when they had been attacked by... Spinning around he saw them hovering just outside the window, the glass smashed even though nothing visible had been done to it and they glided towards him.

'This is the end' he thought to himself 'I'll never see any of them again'. His mind was flashing with his deepest and darkest thoughts and memories, he could see Ginny dumping him and then he saw her throwing herself on Harry with a smile he had never been able to put on her face. Then he saw Seamus scared face the last night he had seen him. 'The last night ever' Dean thought to himself. The three dementors were now hovering over him as he quivered on the floor one of them leaning down towards his face. 'No' he thought suddenly a new energy flooding his veins 'I didn't join the DA for no reason, I joined it so I could fight' all he needed was a happy memory, and he found it. Him and Ginny holding up the Quidditch Cup last year, when he had still hoped to patch it up with her, he could still see all the cheering crowds in the stadium and Seamus envious face looking up at him. New life flooded him and in one swift movement he stood up and with all his might yelled _Expecto Patronum! _A silver lion erupted from his wand tip and circled him once throwing the dementors back and proceeded to chase them out onto the street and up into the sky before returning to stand in front of him. Dean looked at it in awe, he had never managed a corporeal patronus before, and at the DA meetings he had only been able to produce a small silver cloud. The lion stooped it's head before him and he reached out to touch it before it flew back into his wand.

He suddenly became aware of shouting from the street outside and hurriedly ran through to the back entrance to the shop. Sprinting down an alleyway, his backpack and tent bouncing up and down on his back he slowed down to a casual pace as he rejoined the main street of the town. Looking around him to see if anyone was nearby he was glad to see the street was empty, obviously anyone who had still been around had gone to see what had happened at the camping shop. He wanted to apparate but soon realised that he had not the energy. He couldn't concentrate on where he wanted to go. 'I'll just have to walk back to the woods' he thought to himself and he turned to walk down the road.

However before he could take a step his attention was drawn to the window of an electric goods store opposite. One of the television sets in the window had just flickered to life. He walked towards it, strangely drawn towards the flickering static. He continued to watch it flicker for a second or two before he realised to his horror that the electric's store was in the same spot where only hours earlier he had withdrawn money from a seemingly normal muggle wall bank. Before he could turn to run however the picture changed and Dean found himself staring into a familiar podgy face with an equally familiar pink bow perched in it's hair. Dolores Umbridge smiled back at his horrified face before whispering,

"Gotcha!!" Dean felt two people apparate next to him on either side. He just ducked in time as the two stunning spells intended for him hit the two ministry men by mistake.

"Perhaps my luck is improving" he said two himself as he scrambled to his feet only to run into two more wizards blocking the road.

"Get him, get him!!" Umbridge was yelling from the television set as he turned and ran, zigzagging back and forth to avoid the spells flying over his shoulder. As he ran past the alley leading from the camping shop a strong arm grabbed him and pulled him in.

" Don't worry lad" a voice whispered gruffly in his ear "we're getting out of here" and just as the Death Eaters turned the corner he felt the familiar yank of side along apparition. He could still hear Umbridge's demented shrieks as he was pulled, back into the wild.


	6. Showdown at Diagon Alley

Chapter 6- Showdown at Diagon Alley

It was a beating hot day in Diagon Alley. The sun went unnoticed however in Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes as Fred and George stood in their deserted shop, one of their new Arctic fans cooling the room. They were one of their more brilliant ideas, a small magic portal installed in each one transferred actual arctic air into the room in which the fan was situated. Unfortunately they hadn't sold any recently. They expected a lull after the kids all went back to Hogwarts but this was different. Their shop had been branded. A sign now hung on the door of the shop with two words emblazoned across it 'Blood Traitors' in angry red lettering. In the current climate of fear that was a death sentence for a business in Diagon Alley, no one had come near the store in days. Of course it wasn't like the twins hadn't expected it, they had known that something like this would happen ever since the ministry fell, but that still didn't make it any easier to see their business fall apart around them.

"You know what George" Fred said turning to his twin.

"What Fred?" George replied

"I think Diagon Alley has become a bit of a drag" he said looking up at his mirror image, well minus and ear, with a sad look on his face "time to move on to pastures new."

George sighed and walked over to a lever on the wall,

"Think you might be right Fred" he replied "good thing we installed the easy packing spells" And with that he pulled on the lever, at first nothing happened but then all the displays in the shop started folding in on themselves, the different boxes and packets stacking themselves neatly on top of each other until finally they were all in perfect cubes. Fred gave a quick flick of his wand and cardboard boxes suddenly appeared around them.

"Sorted" he said about to stow his wand away, before he noticed what was happening outside the window. There were no longer any shoppers passing by the window. That was odd, the shop was in the middle of the alley. Then he saw them, black robed figures wearing silver masks filed into view from either side and turned to face the shop window.

"Have you got the darkness powder?" George whispered to Fred, Fred nodded,

"Ok I'm sending the patronus now." He held his wand out of sight of the Death Eaters and whispered the spell and he felt the silver hawk leave his wand and roar out the back of the shop.

"What are they waiting for?" Fred whispered "They're just standing there." True enough the Death Eaters hadn't moved from their position facing the shop. Then another figure came into view. There was no mistaking who this was, unmasked and hoodless the terrible, yet strangely beautiful face and wild black hair of Bellatrix Lestrange came into view.

"Hello funny boys" she said her voice being magically carried clearly through the glass "Forget You Know Who Worry about U-No-Poo. I bet you thought that was really clever, didn't you, funny boys. Well you know what I find really funny? Torturing blood traitors until they laugh themselves, in fact until they can't stop laughing, until they never stop laughing. Now doesn't that sound fun." She said tilting her head to one side, a manic look on her face. The twins didn't reply they merely took up duelling positions and waited.

"Have you picked your targets?" Fred whispered to George.

"Yeah I'll take the three on the left and the hag in the middle, you take the four on your side." Fred nodded and fingered the bag of darkness powder he had in his pocket with his non-wand hand.

"And with a flick of the wrist it begins" Bellatrix shouted gleefully waving her hand, the Death eaters behind her sending spells towards the great window. At first the protective spells held but then with a roar of anger Bellatrix herself sent a bolt into the glass, smashing through it's enchantments and shattering it into many pieces.

"Now" Fred yelled and he and George threw the darkness powder in front of themselves instantly obscuring themselves from view. The two brothers had memorised where the death eaters were and sent two stunning spells through the expanding cloud into two of the Death eaters smashing them back into the wall of the alley. Then their cloud of darkness was being whipped away as Bellatrix whirled into the shop her cloak whipping through the air. The twins sent stunning spells her way but she batted them aside and sent her own curse back towards Fred who ducked it and replied with another stunning spell.

"Help me you idiots" she shrieked blocking two more spells from the twins but soon realised why she was receiving no aid. The Order had arrived and the other death eaters were now involved in one on one duels with Remus Lupin, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mrs Weasley, Bill and Fleur.

"Looks like I have to do everything myself" she shrieked and sent a fearsome ball of fire towards George who just managed to levitate a box of products into the fireball's path in time. The three were now casting and blocking at tremendous speed, Bellatrix dealing well with the twin's barrage of spells but not finding the space to cast a killing blow herself.

"Looks like you two children have learnt how to fight" she said out of breath "but this is these are adult's your dealing with now sending a killing curse so close to George's face that if his ear was still there it may well have hit him. The twins were beginning to weaken now whereas Bellatrix seemed to grow in strength as the duel continued. Over her shoulder Fred could see that whereas the order had mostly subdued the original group of Death Eaters reinforcements had arrived and so none of the order could go to the twins aid at that point. George blocked another curse from Bellatrix and stumbled forward from the after shock and Fred had to send his own spell his twins way to knock him out of the way of Bellatrix killing curse. George was sent sprawling and Bellatrix turned towards Fred a gleeful look on her face.

"Just you and me now funny boy" she said.

"Allright come here and give me a kiss love" Fred replied sending Bellatrix into a rage. She started pouring spells his way at a tremendous rate. George looked up desperately at his struggling brother before noticing a box of products near Bellatrix's feet labelled 'Fireworks'. Bellatrix stopped her barrage after Fred's wand went flying and he slumped against the back wall of the shop.

"Aww the funny little boy has had enough has he" she giggled but Fred wasn't listening as she carried on her victory rant. He was looking at George who was staring at the box of Fireworks now lying right next to Bellatrix feet and understood George's plan.

"Since you fought so well, little funny boy I'm going to let you choose how I kill you" Bellatrix said smiling sweetly.

"Oh Thanks that's too kind of you." Fred replied "Well I have always thought Avada Kadavra was boring…..how about Expulso, I've always said I'd like to die by exploding." He grunted hoping Bellatrix would swallow the bait.

"Oooooh we are a bit twisted for a good little member of the Order aren't we. Very well Expulso it is." As she flicked her wand to perform the curse several other things happened, Fred ducked down and grabbed his wand, casting a shield spell over himself from he knew was coming next and George flicked his wand at the box of fireworks causing it levitate right into the path of Bellatrix's exploding curse. The resulting explosion ripped through the shop toppling wall and shelves and sending Bellatrix flying back out of the window. The various sowing spells cast by the Death eaters to try and slow her flight failed miserably, the wall of the alley didn't. She thumped into it at great speed and slid down into a crumpled heap on the floor. For a second no-one did anything then one death eater ran over to their fallen leader and swiftly apparated away, the rest soon followed.

Fred crawled over to George's body on the floor.

"You okay man" she choked out.

"Yeah" George replied pulling himself to his knees "just a bit sore, but that's more than I can say for our business" he said looking around at the shell of a building which just twenty short minutes earlier had been there life. They were then swallowed up in their mother's arms.

"I'm so proud of you both" she cried into their chests "you fought off Bellatrix Lestrange all by yourselves" hugging them tighter.

"Mum………air" Fred wheezed through his mother's bear hug.

"Oh sorry" she said pulling back.

"It's all right, she wasn't that hard actually, she talks way too much" Fred said grinning.

"I can't believe you asked Bellatrix Lestrange to give you a kiss" laughed George.

"I was being serious as well, I threw might heart at her and what did she do…curse me…well this is the last time I go all out for a death eater I'm telling you" Fred said with mock sadness. Mrs Weasley gave them both a whack on the back of the head.

"You'll both have to go into hiding now of course" Mrs Weasley sighed.

"It's ok mum, we weren't planning on running around London shouting Dumbledore's name as it was" Fred replied ducking under her arm. Rejoining the rest of the order outside they apparated away as the ministry officials ran down the alley towards them.


	7. Colin Comes of Age

Chapter 7- Colin Comes of Age 

Colin Creevey was not having a very good start to his sixth year at Hogwarts. First there had been the news that his idol Harry potter would not be returning to Hogwarts this year. Now Colin had come along way since he had first arrived at the school and was not the Harry Potter obsessive he had once been, but Harry was still the person who Colin wanted be like. Everyone always seemed to look up to Harry, no-one ever looked up to Colin. Secondly was the new teaching arrangements, Alecto and Amycus Carrow had not taken long to make their mark on the school. Colin had already been the victim of stinging hexes fired his way by Alecto for daring to suggest that a muggle artefact called a telephone that she had been ridiculing showed a lot of intelligence during the now obligatory Muggle Studies. Still he could count himself lucky that he had not gotten a detention. A day didn't go by without hearing tales of the students who had been less so, a hollow nature to their eyes and their voices hoarse from screaming.

He absent mindedly scribbled down some sentences on the potions essay he was doing for Professor Slughorn. He looked up to see Ginny Weasley pass in front of him, she had been one of the first singled out by the new regime, not a single Dark Arts or Muggle Studies lesson went by without Ginny being given detention for some minor infringement such as coughing or whispering to a neighbour. However her eyes did not seem to have the same dead quality the other victims had, instead the steel like nature she had returned to Hogwarts with seemed to grow harder with every day and her eyes seemed to burn brighter. As was always the case these days outside of lessons she was tailed by Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnegan, if it had just been Neville this would not have been unusual but Seamus had never been more than a casual friend to Ginny. Then again Neville and Seamus were the only boys still in the year above himself this year so it would make sense for Seamus to go around with Neville. Still there was something going on with them and Colin wasn't totally sure whether he wanted to know. He returned his attention to his essay.

The next day Colin made sure he was early for Dark Arts as was the custom of most students these days. When he got there every other student in the class was already there including the strange Luna Lovegood, the Gryffindor's took Dark Arts with the Ravenclaw's, all except Ginny Weasley. The students filed in and took their seats, on the surface the room looked pretty much the same as it had for years except for one glaring exception, on the left hand wall was a leering bust of He Who Must Not Be Named. Colin didn't like to look at it and so always tried to place himself in front of its position in the classroom. Colin had just taken out his wand, quills and books were no longer needed in this class, when Professor Carrow slid into the room his grotesque smirk failing to make his podgy face any more endearing. He was not tall, some of the boys in the class were a good three or four inches taller, but he did not need to be tall to intimidate. His fearsome reputation and his habit of having his wand drawn at all times as if gleefully looking for someone to curse did the job.

"Wands out" he snapped as always before noticing the empty seat right before him "Ah, Miss Weasley is late is she" he said his smirk widening showing gappy yellow teeth "how unfortunate for her."

Just then Ginny burst in and upon seeing Amycus straitened up and walked with the utmost poise and stoicism towards the vacant seat not even a hint of an apology on her lips, Colin however noticed that her knees were shaking beneath her skirt. When she reached her seat she started to sit but Amycus barked out

"Stop" Ginny looked him in the eyes and then straitened up, the same defiant look on her face.

"It is time" Amycus sneered at the whole class "that you were all taught the darkest, most noble and glorious spells that we as witches and wizards are able to perform, the so called 'Unforgivable' curses. Now I was going to have you practice the Imperious curse on each other in this lesson but Miss Weasley has given us such a perfect opportunity. All of you line up by the left wall" the last line was barked out like a military drill sergeant as a flick of his wand cleared the desks in the middle of the room clearing a space. After dragging Ginny to the centre of this space by her hair he turned to face the class now lined up against the wall.

"The Cruciatus curse, by far the funniest spell you will ever use, observe closely what I do" and turning to face Ginny he spat out "Crucio" Ginny started to writhe on the floor desperately trying to resist screaming.

When she stopped convulsing Amycus turned, grinning, to face the boy from Ravenclaw who was at the end of the line.

"Your turn" he smirked before pushing the boy towards Ginny. At first the boy hesitated but after seeing the look on Amycus face decided against protesting. With a terrified look on his face he stammered out,

"Crrruuuccioooo" and Ginny gave light twitch and nothing else.

"It won't work" Ginny said with a triumphant sound to her voice "you have to mean it for it to work. And none of these students are as sick as you."

"Well I will just have to give them a reason to mean it" Amycus replied smirking. Turning to a girl from Ravenclaw he said with relish,

"Imperio" and the girl immediately walked to the other side of the room, unlocked the window and stepped up onto the ledge.

"Now" Amycus said addressing the boy in front of him "if you don't want Miss Stevens to see if she can fly or not I suggest you really try and mean it this time."

The boy was crying now and started to sob as he turned his wand on Ginny,

"Crucio" he said, this time with strength, and Ginny started to convulse again, screaming over and over again. Colin and Luna couldn't bare to watch as three more students were forced to torture their classmate. One boy from Gryffindor nearly refused but Amycus just made the girl Helga Stevens lift up one of her feet as if to step off and he backed down. Then it was Colin's turn, he stood in front of Ginny still quivering from the last curse.

"You're going to drive her mad" he said turning to Amycus.

"Oh no it would take witches and wizards much more powerful than yourselves to accomplish that, no this is just going to inspire in her a little bit of discipline. Now curse" the last two words had a threatening edge to them and Colin saw Helga lift her foot again on the window sill.

"No" Colin said lowering his wand "I won't do it."

"Well I guess Miss Stevens is going to have to step off isn't she" Amycus spat back.

"If you make her fall" Colin replied, not really sure what where this new found courage was coming from "We will kill you"

"You kill me, don't be stupid boy"

"We might be scared of you now Amycus, but if you kill her that won't matter anymore and we will kill you" Colin said staring Amycus right in the eyes. Amycus stared around at the other students, all of them were nodding, the same hard edge to their eyes. He stayed like this for a few moments before spitting out,

"Class dismissed" and Helga stepped down from the window and returned to herself. Colin was about to leave when Amycus grabbed his arm,

"Not you" he said coldly.

When Colin found his way back to the common room an hour later he was greeted by Ginny, Neville and Seamus. Ginny hugged him and pulled him to one side along with the two boys.

"That was a great thing you did in that lesson today Colin" Ginny said

"Don't mention it" Colin replied.

"We have a proposition for you" Seamus said in a hushed voice so no one around them could hear.

"What kind of proposition" Colin said immediately interested. It was Neville who replied holding out a familiar coin to Colin.

"What would you say if we told you that Dumbledore's Army was back in action?"


	8. A Spot of Gamesmanship

Before the next chapter I thought I would give you an idea of what you are in for with the chapter titles for the rest of the story. Note that these may change, be added to or be moved around.

9. Refuge

10. The Phoenix Last Message

11. The Choices of Master Finnegan

12. Reinforcements

13. Jaws of the Wolf

14. A Dursley Hunt

15. Battle of the Houses

16. Battle Lines

17. Endgame (1)

18. Endgame (2)

19. The Dust Settles

20. 19 Years Later

Now enjoy what is by far the longest chapter so far.

Chapter 8- A Spot of Gamesmanship

It was a slaughter. Ginny, Neville, Seamus, Luna and Colin stared aghast at what was unfolding before them. The Quidditch match before them was being played between two quite even teams Ravenclaw and Slytherin, the game was anything but even. Ravenclaw were currently only playing with one chaser because the others had been mauled by bludgers, one of their beaters had also been taken out. However he was not taken out by the bludger that had come flying at his head, no that he beat away with considerable skill, it was the stunning spell that came after it that sent him flying. For Amycus and Alecto Carrow had no intention of being impartial. Alecto who was fulfilling her role as the new Hogwarts Quidditch referee was paying no attention to the constant fouls committed by the Slytherin team and was instead using her wand to direct the bludgers herself, taking out the Ravenclaw players at will. Amycus who Ginny could see was roaring with laughter in the teachers stand was making sure that Slytherin was leading at all times, bewitching the quaffle to fly out of the hands of the Ravenclaw players and into the hands of the players from Slytherin. A few minutes later it was over and Ginny, who was Gryffindor's new Quidditch captain, had the joy of looking forward to the Gryffindor versus Slytherin game in two weeks time.

"What are we going to do?" she said exasperatedly to Neville as she slumped into a chair in the common room "We'll get totally destroyed."

"I know what ya mean" Seamus, who was Gryffindor's new seeker, agreed as he slipped into the chair next to her "I'm not exactly looking forward to it myself."

"Well" Neville said a slight smile lighting his face "I think this is a job for the DA. I mean think about it, it's a situation where students are in danger and well, it's about time we did something, it has been two months."

"But Nev me and Ginny are going to be playing" Seamus pointed out "that would only leave you, Colin and Luna. Do you really think the three of you can handle a public display of defiance like that?"

"I know we can" this time it was Colin who spoke "but what about afterwards, when they know it was us?"

"That's easy" Neville said smiling at the confused looks on their faces "they won't."

Ten minutes later and all five members of the DA were standing outside the entrance to the room of requirement, Luna having been alerted via the magic coins Hermione had made two years before.

"Err Nev" Ginny said as Neville paced back and forth in front of the secret entrance "what are we doing here?"

At first Neville didn't answer here but continued his pacing. However when moments later a door appeared in the wall he turned to her and said

"It's simple. We need a headquarters so I asked for one" and with that he pushed on the door and they all bundled inside. What met their eyes was astonishing, it was far different to the headquarters they had had the first time. Sure there was a training area like they had had before but it only took up a small area of the room. Right in the middle of the room was a large table with chairs spread around it and on it was a map of Hogwarts. Ginny half expected it to be Harry's Marauders Map or at least one of the same type but this was just a normal map, Harry's must be one of a kind she thought to herself. Over in the corner behind a curtain Luna had found a living area complete with beds and comfy chairs.

"Hey guys come over" Neville called to them from the far right hand side of their new base where he was standing in front of an old wardrobe "this what I wanted most from here" he said as the others hurried over to him. When they were all there he opened the door and their jaws dropped at what was inside. The wardrobe was filled with brilliant white hooded cloaks, identical in style to the black cloaks of the Death Eaters. On a shelf below were masks not silver and like those of the Death Eaters but golden, they also did not seem as evil as the Death Eater masks but they all hoped that they would soon be a terrifying sight for Professors Carrow, Carrow and Snape.

The morning of the match came and an air of tension had descended on the Gryffindor common room. None of the usual excitement and cheering was present today, all of them knew what was ahead. Neville and Colin stood with Seamus and Ginny, they were ready and they had planned it meticulously in the last two weeks, that didn't make any less terrifying. Neville and Colin left to go and meet Luna leaving Seamus and Ginny together.

"Well it's out of our hands now" said the young Irishman

"I know" Ginny replied "let's go meet the rest of the team."

A half an hour later and Ginny was addressing a very scared Gryffindor team,

"Whatever you do just keep playing ok, we are Gryffindors remember we don't get intimidated or bullied without a fight. Beaters I want you to watch that bitch referee constantly and try and counter her as much as possible. Seamus I know this will sound like I'm stating the obvious but I need you to catch that snitch as soon as possible." Seamus nodded "That's it then. Let's go and show them how Gryffindor's fight."

At that very same moment, beneath one of the stands Luna, Colin and Neville were getting ready. Luna, who was becoming quite adept at transfiguration had bewitched their new outfits to look like Gryffindor flags and scarves so they could get them to the stadium without being noticed.

"This is quite exciting" the blonde haired girl said "not as good as if I was still commentating but for some reason they didn't want me back." Colin had to turn around so she didn't see him laughing.

"Right so we're all clear on the plan" Neville said "wait until the Carrow's start misbehaving before we act" the other two nodded and yanked their white robes over their heads and went off with their brooms under the cover of the cloth covered stands towards different sides of the pitch. Neville now also fully cloaked and masked peered out through a gap in cloth. The two sides were now opposite each other and Alecto was just about to release the balls. 'Good Luck Everyone' Neville thought to himself as he saw Alecto all but hand the quaffle to Slytherin team to start the match. At first it seemed that the Carrow's were going to let this match play as it was supposed to. However this soon changed when Ginny scored for Gryffindor a couple of minutes in. Neville saw Alecto draw her wand high above and point it at one of the bludgers, the bludger soared off straight at Ginny. Now was the time Neville decided.

Alecto Carrow was just starting to laugh as her bewitched bludger flew towards Ginny Weasley's stomach when it promptly stopped in mid air. The whole stadium became silent as the bludger continued to stay where it was and then as if in slow motion it span around and came flying right back at her. She ducked under it but then had to dodge another coming from behind. The bludgers flew around to attack her again but Amycus and Snape stepped in, exploding the bludgers where they were from the teachers stand. Suddenly aware that the game was still going on around her Alecto spun around to see who was responsible and her eyes settled on Ginny Weasley.

"You" she roared "You'll pay dearly for this" but Ginny was paying no attention and was instead flying off after the quaffle.

"I'll teach you to ignore me girl" Alecto screeched but just as she pointed her wand at the redhead she was almost knocked off her broom as a white blur shot in front her. Realising that her wand was no longer in her hand Alecto looked up to see a figure on a broom flying up above her a wand in each hand. The figure was wearing a white cloak and golden mask which were almost exact opposites of the sacred robes of a death eater. Rage boiled up in Alecto veins and she spurred her broom upwards straight at this cloaked assailant who dared to mock the Death Eaters. It wasn't until she was about half way towards the mysterious figure that Alecto remembered that she no longer had a wand. This realisation led her to another, that the mysterious attacker who was by now hurtling straight towards her did have a wand, in fact they two. Two stunning spells hit Alecto in chest before she even had a chance to scream and she plummeted limply back towards the earth, her fall only stooped by a last minute slowing spell from her dear brother.

Colin whipped his broom around and shot back upwards hoping to take cover in the clouds until he was next needed. Turning his head he could see that Amycus had not spotted where he had gone as he had been too busy recovering his sisters broom. Apparently he had every intention of taking his sisters place as referee. Neville had done a great job bewitching the bludgers Colin thought to himself. So far everything was going to plan. Next up it was Luna. Turning his attention back to game from his lofty hiding place Colin could just about make out the small figures playing the newly resumed game beneath. And from what he could tell Amycus had not learnt a thing from his sisters experience.

Luna watched from her hiding place as Amycus bewitched the quaffle out of Gryffindor hands and into those from Slytherin. Gryffindor had scored quite a few points in the confusion and were leading 100 points to 60 but Slytherin were catching up fast and Luna could see that under the current circumstances the Gryffindor lead wouldn't last. She looked over to where she knew Neville was hiding and with a nod from him took off on her broom. This was Colin's cue as well and he dived from behind the clouds. Neville flew towards to teachers stand threw his handful of Peruvian Darkness powder right in Snape's astonished and furious face. Colin tried to grab Amycus's wand the same way he had gotten Alecto's but Amycus was ready for him and withdrew his hand before Colin could snatch his wand. He then sent a stun spell straight at the flying white figure which Colin only just managed to dodge. Amycus stayed still on his broom firing spell after spell at the white figure as it dodged and weaved in font of him until finally,

"Expelliamus" roared Amycus and Colin's wand and went flying "you put up a good fight but it's over now." But to his surprise the figure in front of him laughed in return before saying,

"I'm terribly sorry Professor Carrow but I was only ever the distraction"

"Reducto" roared a voice, a girl's this time from behind and before he had time to scream the broom beneath Amycus had disintegrated. There was no-one to stop his fall, Snape's view of the whole thing was blocked by the darkness powder, Amycus hit the ground with a sickening thud. By the time the dark cloud had dissipated from around the teachers stand Neville, Luna and Colin had returned to underneath the stands to rapturous applause from three quarters of the audience, bewitched their outfits back into scarves and flags and returned to the Gryffindor students easily melting into the crowd.

Severus Snape turned to Minerva McGonagall and said,

"Well I guess we will have to abandon the match"

"And why is that?" the imperious Scot replied a satisfied smile on her face "We have a perfectly good replacement referee here" pointing at Madame Hooch. The two teachers stared at each other in silence for a moment before Snape whispered through gritted teeth

"Fine."

After that the game was played as usual except that because of the lack of bludgers the beaters became extra chasers making for some hectic play. Gryffindor were too good for the shocked Slytherin's however and by the time Seamus caught the snitch Gryffindor were already 170 points ahead. Later the four Gryffindor members of the DA sat down in the common room. None of them said a word but simultaneously broke out laughing. The revolution had begun.


	9. Refuge

Chapter 9- Refuge

The flickering light cast by the campfire illuminated the woodland around them as Dean Thomas munched on the fish that had been caught earlier that day. He lifted his head from his food to take in his companions. There was Ted Tonks who had saved him from the Death Eaters several months ago, he really liked Ted he was kind and light hearted but also deadly serious when he had to be. Then there was Dirk Creswell the man from the ministry, he seemed nice enough although sometimes he was a bit haughty and distant. Then of course there was the two goblins Gornuk and Griphook, Dean wasn't really sure what to think about them, there habit of whispering quietly to each other and then laughing was quite unnerving, but they seemed trustworthy enough. The goblins along with Creswell had only joined the group about a week ago.

However they were no longer on an aimless mission to avoid the ministry, now they were on a journey they had a purpose, now they were searching for The Refuge. A few days before they had met a fellow muggle born like them, mortally injured and near death, lying by the side of the road. He died shortly after they found him but before he did he told them of the place that he was searching for, he in turn had heard from another fugitive that there was a secret underground hideout for muggle-borns known as The Refuge. He said that the only clue he had was to look for the five gates and then speak the password, which unfortunately he did not know. So they did not know exactly what they were searching for, or what to do when they found it, but the need for somewhere safe and indoors spurred them on. He hoped they would find it soon thought Dean to himself, the nights were getting colder.

One month later and the group was trekking just north of Salisbury plain. Gornuk and Griphook were walking just behind Dean and Dean could hear Gornuk moaning.

"Damned old man" he growled "we've been searching for his damn refuge for over a month now and we are no nearer to knowing where it is." Dean knew what he meant, the excitement about the journey had soon wore off. Just then he noticed a familiar looking shape on the horizon, framed by the sun rising behind it.

"Hey it's Stonehenge." He exclaimed and started to run towards the famous old monument.

"Dean come on" Ted's voice rang out from behind "We don't want to stay too long in the open, besides it's right next to a muggle road"

"It won't take long, I've always wanted to see Stonehenge………besides it's five in the morning there's not going to be many cars going by at this time." Dean moaned back. Ted sighed and said,

"All right but it has to be quick." And with that the group trudged towards the ancient group of stones all of them secretly glad for the slight pause in their monotonous, and so far fruitless, journey.

Once he reached it Dean wound his way between the massive stone arches before heading to the middle and standing on the fallen stone at the centre.

"Pretty impressive" it was Creswell who spoke as he stepped into the ring followed by the others "unfortunately I think this is the closest we are going to come to any kind of indoor sanctuary." His words hung in the air for a second before Dean notice that the stone he was standing on was vibrating and he quickly jumped off as the stone slid sharply to one side revealing a set of stairs heading down into the earth. They all gathered around the hole extremely puzzled until Gornuk spoke up.

"Look around you" he said in a gruff, excited voice pointing at the arches "five gates, this is it, this is refuge." None of them could quite believe it, all that searching and they ended up finding The Refuge by accident.

"Well" Ted said excitedly "what are we waiting for" and they all piled to the steps. Griphook gave dean a small push in the back when he hesitated and he stumbled down the steps. He soon saw that despite the appearance from the top of the stairs the inside was quite light and warm. The others soon joined him at the bottom of the staircase in what appeared to be a deserted corridor with a door at the end.

"I guess everyone else is through there" Dean said with a shrug and the group cautiously approached the door and Dean gave it a push. Immediately as he stepped in the room several light flashes came their way and the wands of the three wizards flew out of their hands.

Before they could register quite what had happened several grim looking men and women had their wands at their chests.

"Who are you?" The man confronting Ted said none too politely "What do you want?"

"We are fugitive's" Dirk Creswell said eyeing the wand in his ribs "three muggle borns and two Gringotts goblins. We heard this was a refuge for people like us" Their assailants stared at them for a moment as if trying to catch the slightest hint of a lie. Apparently satisfied with Dirk's answer the group lowered their wands and to the shock of the three humans and disgust of the goblins hugged them.

"Welcome to the refuge friends" said the man who had questioned them before "you will be safe here." Taking in his surroundings for the first time since they had stepped in the room Dean was taken aback by the size of the hall he was in. The walls on each side stretched quite a fair way away and the people on the other side seemed very small. Overall there seemed to be about fifty refugees spread across the room, some of them sitting or lying on the beds which lined the walls.

"Magnificent isn't it" said the man who had spoken before "I'm Terrence Sandwell by the way. I've only been here a week myself."

"Who runs this place?" Dean asked staring at the high vaulted ceiling.

"That would be the managers……………none of us ever see them……too busy apparently. There great people though I'm sure" he said reacting to the apprehensive look Ted had given this revelation "the best food appears in here at meal times and every now and then people get asked to go see them to be asked to become a field agent to go tell people about this place. There's nothing wrong."

"Sounds good to me" Dirk said and moved off to find some beds for them. Ted and Dean shared a troubled look.

Despite the bad feeling Dean had about the mysterious managers the first few weeks passed quite uneventfully. There wasn't an awful lot to do down there but the fugitives found ways to amuse themselves in the long hall. To Dean's delight many of them knew how to play football since most were muggle-borns and every day they held five a side games. Every now and then someone would leave the group to go out as a field agent, to his delight Terence was asked a week after dean had arrived and had not yet returned from his mission. There were near to a hundred of them in the hall now and it was nearly full.

One evening the group was just sitting down for dinner at the big table at one end when something strange happened, the food did not appear as usual. The group looked around in surprise, then the table and chairs vanished from around them, many people falling over. When they looked around they noticed that the beds had also disappeared. Dean caught Ted's eye and they both drew their wands as did Dirk behind them. Looking at the Goblin's dean noticed that they seemed much less lethargic than usual and their ears were twitching. The large group of fugitives moved in silence to the centre of the room forming a big huddle, all of them anxious to find out what was going on. Just then two doors opened on each of the four walls and about twenty figures walked out single file from inside them. A gasp went up from the group as they were recognised as the 'filed agents', dean could see Terence near the back of the line. They seemed to be in a zombie like state. The line formed a ring around the fugitives staring inwards impassively. Some of the fugitives tried to talk to them but received no response. Next four others figures emerged from the doors, these were different however, they were wearing all black, had extremely white skin and pitch black hair. They took up a place in the circle. Absolute silence filled the hall.

One of the new arrivals stepped forwards.

"Good Evening" he said in a quiet voice, he hardly seemed to move his lips when he spoke, but the sound seemed to carry anyway.

"Who are you?" said a frightened voice from within the huddle which dean now found himself on the edge of.

"We are the management of this sanctuary" said the same figure, again barely needing to move his lips.

"What's happening?" someone else said.

"Why it's dinner time of course" said the man.

"We know" said the one who had asked the last question "but that doesn't explain what you are doing here." The manager merely laughed and said in the same quiet voice,

"it is not your dinner time…………it is ours." And with that all of the figures surrounding them smiled revealing lines two sharp fangs protruding from the their top rows of teeth. Immediately people started screaming as the ring of Vampires started closing in around them. People were attempting to stun the advancing monsters but the spells were having no affect.

"It's no good" said a panicked Dirk next to Dean "spells have no affect of Vampires." Dean had already known this from his Defence against the Dark arts lessons. How do you kill a Vampire he thought desperately as he tried to pull one of the monsters off Ted his height serving him well when a rather small Vampire tried to jump him.

A stake he thought to himself with a flash, a wooden stake to the heart will kill them, but how was he supposed to get a wooden stake in this situation. He stumbled as several people shoved past him tried to run past the ring of slowly advancing monsters. Their fate was not a pretty one, the floor was soon stained red. The crowd was getting desperate now the bulk of the vampires had now started attacking the people on the outside as dean found himself pushed by a now free Ted towards the centre.

"You'd better think of a way to kill these things" Ted said "I can't wrestle them off forever." Dean nodded and continued to wrack his brain. Looking around as he thought he saw that one Vampire had been stupid enough to attack Griphook and Gornuk who had drawn small daggers and sliced off the Vampires feet. Dean smiled but was soon dragged back to reality when he heard Dirk yell his name. When he turned around he saw that the ex-ministry man was one his back with one of the black clad managers desperately trying to bring his mouth to Dirk's neck.

"Do something……..help me" Dirk grunted and Dean desperately started to try and remember how to kill a Vampire, Vampire couldn't stand wood, silver and…….

"Lumos Solem" he yelled pointing his wand at the Vampire and a beam of pure sunlight shone out. The Vampire hissed and jumped off of Dirk desperately trying to shield himself from Dean's spell.

"It's working" Dean yelled as he saw the Vampire's skin start to smoke. The rest of the refugees soon caught on and the Vampire' started to be beaten back. Siezing the opportunity Ted yelled out,

"Follow me" and they all started to race towards the entrance they had come in by. Dean was nearly there when he felled something clutch at his ankle pulling him down. He turned to see Terence clawing at him his skin burning and bearing his fangs.

"I'm sorry Terence" Dean said and pointing his wand at the poor man he yelled

"Lumos Solem." The close range spell disintegrated Terence and Dean followed the others through the door which Ted was holding open.

"Let's get out of here" he said and Ted nodded. The two slammed the door shut and Dean magically locked it then they both ran up the stairs. The five of them quickly apparated into the night, getting as far away as possible from The Refuge.


	10. The Phoenix Last Message

Chapter 10- The Phoenix Last Message

Mrs Creeveys breath caught in her throat as the cloaked figures walked up the pathway to her front door, the pounding rain obscuring their features. She ran from her kitchen into the adjoining room.

"Run Adamus, they are here" she breathed to the man she found there and turned and strode with quaking limbs back to the front door on which she heard a sharp tapping. Reaching out with her quaking hand she opened the door a fraction.

"What do you want?" she enquired of the three shadowy figures on the other side of the door.

"You filthy muggle, did you really think you would get away with it?" the door blasted open and Mrs Creeveys scream filled the night.

Colin sprinted up to the Gryffindor common room.

"Detritus" he said to the Fat Lady who promptly swung open. Sprinting the rest of the way he rushed over to where he rest of the DA were sat.

"Guys, Snape wants me and Dennis in his office as soon as possible, I think they know" he panted. The others just looked at him in confusion. Before Seamus asked.

"Um Colin……..know what?"

"That Dennis and I are muggle-borns" he said as quietly as possible so that no-one but the DA could hear.

"If you are muggle-born how come you're here?" Neville asked. Seeing that it was going to need a little more explanation Colin sat down.

"Well" he said leaning forward "I was born to two muggles, my Dad was a milk man. A muggle who delivers milk in the mornings." He added for Ginny and Neville who looked confused. "Anyway none of us had any idea about the wizarding world until I turned eleven and the letter came. This kind of freaked Dad out and he left."

"What a jerk" Ginny butted in but Neville stopped her from continuing her rant.

"Anyway that was also the same time we found out that our next door neighbour Adamus Hove, who before we had thought was just crazy, was actually a wizard. He had seen the owl arrive with the letter and so decided he could reveal himself to us. When Dad left he started to help us out as my mum had to work and while I was at Hogwarts Dennis was still young. Anyway one year I came home from school and he was living with us. He married my mum and kinda became our Dad. We didn't mind he's pretty cool but I don't see him much as I'm always at school. Anyway when this all started we hoped that we could pass him off as our real dad which would save us from the Registration Act. And as 'half-bloods' we had to come here…………I guess this means they've got my mum and Adamus doesn't it?" None of them said anything, they had all been thinking the same thing.

"Right" said Neville leaping back into General mode "we'll just have to get you out of here won't we. Colin find Dennis, we'll gather with Luna at the Room of Requirement agreed." The others nodded in agreement and they all went off to their respective tasks.

Ten minutes later and they were standing around the map in their secret base. Colin and Dennis were the last to arrive and were panting heavily.

"Sorry guys" said Colin "but we only just got out in time. Almost as soon as we had left the common room we heard Amycus and McGonagall's voice down the corridor. He was demanding that she let him into Gryffindor tower. We hid in the space behind the tapestry of the third Goblin War and they went past and into the tower. He was probably trying to find us. After that we ran here."

"Right then" Neville said "while we were waiting we have come up with a plan. Last year Harry told Ginny that there is a secret passage from beneath the whomping willow that runs to the Shrieking shack in Hogsmeade. It is our belief that the Carrow's do not know of this passage but that Snape does so it's 50/50 as to whether it is blocked up as we believe Snape doesn't think any of us know that it exists. Are you following this?"

"Uh I think so" Colin said "but how are we suppose to get out to the Willow all the exits from the castle are closed at night."

"Not quite all" it was Seamus who spoke up this time "I had to clean up a classroom for Slughorn last week in detention and the broom cupboard I got the broom from was on the first floor and had a window that hadn't been boarded up. They must have missed it in their sweep of the castle. If we can get you out of there then there is nothing between us and the passage. Well except for the tree but we can find a way around that"

"Ok" said Ginny "have you got your packs with you?"

"Yeah" said Dennis "clothes and blankets. I guess we'll have to find food once we're gone………….I wonder why this place never supplies food?"

"Well we can't help it now" said Colin

"You'll be coming with Luna and me" Seamus told Colin "Ginny and Nev are gonna stay here as if we do get caught we don't want it to be everyone."

"Good luck" Neville said to Colin and Dennis.

"You too" they replied and they left with Seamus and Luna.

And with that Ginny and Neville were on their own. After a few moments staring at the map Neville looked up at his fellow conspirator.

"What are we going to do?" he said.

"About what?" she replied.

"About this. About Everything. We've lost Colin, we have no way of effectively fighting back at the Carrows."

"We did at the Quidditch game" said Ginny.

"Yes but then we had the element of surprise" Neville replied "now they seem more secure and more cruel than ever." Ginny had no answer to this. Neville started to pace up and down whispering under his breath "we need help" over and over. Suddenly a brilliant silver form erupted from the middle of the room knocking Neville and Luna over. When they had gotten over their initial surprise they saw that it was a silver Phoenix that floated above them and from it's mouth issued the voice of Albus Dumbledore.

"Greetings to whatever brave student it was who has activated this message. Do not bother trying to speak to this patronus for whilst I can leave this message here for those I left behind I cannot speak from beyond the grave apart from the portrait in my office of course. I have planted this message here as I am quite positive that I may soon meet my end and that with all likelihood the school will have fallen into undesirable hands or you would not have been able to activate this message. For you see only those who were in this room needing help to protect their fellow students could activate this message. One of my more clever ideas I am sure you will agree. I hope that Mr Potter, Mr Weasley and Miss Granger are not present as I had a rather different mission lined up for them. Whoever you are I have something in my office which will help you in your task I think. I daresay my portrait will be able to tell you more when you get there. Oh and one more thing I think it would be advisable that you wait until the present headmaster or mistress is not there when you go hmmm.

And remember Professor Snape's favourite potion is veritaserum" After that the Phoenix vanished and Ginny and Neville were left in stunned silence. In fact they didn't say anything until Seamus and Luna returned.

"It all went fine" Seamus said as he walked in a cut on his cheek "we managed to stop the damned tree eventually and they got into the tunnel all right."

"What happened with you?" Luna said seeing Ginny and Neville's stunned faces "you haven't been attacked by Fozzit's have you?" Not even bothering to ask what a Fozzit was Ginny launched into their story and by the time she was done Seamus and Luna had excited grins on their faces.

"I wonder what the bit about veritaserum meant" Luna said.

"What's so exciting?" she asked them and Seamus replied.

"We can do it tonight. On the way back we had to hide as Amycus stormed past us ranting about how Snape had only left in charge for one night and two muggle-borns had been allowed to go missing. This is our chance." Ginny looked at Neville with a sudden glee.

"Let's do it" Neville sad and they gathered around the map table to discuss what to do. Within minutes it was planned, Ginny Neville and Luna would break into Snape's office while Seamus would try and draw Amycus, and if she was with him Alecto, to the far side of the school by telling them he had seen Colin there earlier.

"We sorted" Neville said once the three going to the office had struggled into their DA cloaks and masks. The others all nodded and they set off for their different objectives. Neville, Ginny and Luna found no opposition as they wound their way down to where the Headmasters office was located. The area around the gargoyle was deserted.

"Right" Neville said as they got there "what's the password?" Ginny and Neville stared at each other in horror. How had they forgotten about such an integral part of the operation? Neville was about to suggest they turn back when Luna said.

"Veritaserum" and the gargoyle moved out of their way and the moving stairs came into view.

"Luna……how?" Ginny spluttered in disbelief.

"It said it in the message remember. Snape's favourite potion is veritaserum." Luna replied in her usual dreamy tone.

"Luna I could kiss" Neville said "but I won't because we have a job to do."

When they reached the top of the stairs they found the office already lit. Spotting Dumbledore's portrait snoring on the wall Ginny ran over to it.

"Professor wake up" she said "we need to talk to you." The painting Dumbledore shook itself awake and then peered at who was in the room.

"Miss Weasley, Miss Lovegood and Mr Longbottom I should have guessed that it was you who receive my message, for that is why you are is it not?"

"Yes sir" Neville said.

"Excellent." The Dumbledore portrait said "The object of which I spoke is in that small bare area of wall to the left of the window there. Simply say Fizzing Whizbees and it will open for you." Neville ran over to the wall in question and sure enough as soon as he spoke those words the wall swung open and inside he found………a crystal ball.

"Um sir there are loads of these in divination and well how is a crystal ball supposed to help us?" he asked.

"Well quite. But this is not in fact a crystal ball it is a bewitched crystal ball. In it you will be able to see any area of the castle that you wish. Except for the Dormitories and Common Rooms of course. I deemed it right to exclude them from the enchantment."

"Awesome." Said Ginny grabbing the orb from Neville.

"It may be prudent to transfigure it into something everyday when you are not using it. A piece of parchment for instance." Dumbledore suggested.

"Good thinking." Said Neville as Luna stepped forward to transfigure the orb.

"I have been known to have my moments Mr Longbottom. And while we are on the subject of transfiguration I would alter your outfits slightly. If anyone comes up those stairs there is no way for you to escape and it would be a terrible shame for Carrow's to find out who is under those charming masks. Also you wouldn't mind taking the sword would you, it belongs with brave Gryffindor's."

"All right" Ginny said and they transfigured their robes into normal school clothes and taking the sword of Gryffindor of it's hanging on the walls.

"Good luck" the old headmaster said "use it wisely. And remember I couldn't be more proud of you."

The three left the office and made their way down the stairs and into the corridor beyond. They were just about to escape into the dark corridor beyond when each of them felt a wand pressed into their backs.

"Busted Longbottom" the silky voice of Severus Snape whispered in Neville's ear.

Five minutes later and Severus Snape was standing in front of the Dumbledore portrait.

"It worked" he said "the Carrows believed that they only took the sword and that the sword was the real deal. The fake is now on it's way to Gringotts."

"Excellent" the old man in the painting replied "I hope they are not too severely punished."

"I wish you would not encourage this Dumbledore. Having them as your personal army running around the castle is making it extremely difficult to protect them. Someone will end up getting killed you mark my words."

"I know, I know" a sad and weary look had crept across the features of Albus Dumbledore and a tear spilled down to the bottom of the frame and disappeared "I wish it had never come to this and I know that it makes your job all the harder. But I couldn't be more proud of them all the same."

As they stumbled weary and broken into the Gryffindor common room several hours later Ginny and Neville were enveloped by a bear hug from Seamus who was waiting for them.

"I was so worried" whispered the young Irishman "I kept em both as long as possible but then Snape turned up and they hurried off. They didn't hurt you too bad did they"

"No" said Ginny putting on a brave face but Seamus could tell she was lying.

"It was worth it though" Neville said his voice hoarse and from his robes he pulled a piece of old parchment which, when he pointed his wand to it, morphed into a bright orb. A smile crept across their faces as they all thought the same thing. The fightback starts here.

Colin Creevey gazed down at the far off shape of Hogwarts castle in the distance. He would be back he thought to himself as he walked over to the still, sleeping form of his brother. He'd be back.


	11. The Choices of Master Finnegan 1

Chapter 11- The Choices of Master Finnegan- Part One Revolution

_The next three chapters were originally supposed to just be one but it grew so long while I was writing it that I had to split it into three. These are the three centrepiece chapters of the DA storyline and have been planned in detail since the beginning. Beware there is some heavy stuff ahead particularly in the last of the three. Now sit back relax and Enjoy._

Seamus trudged up to the castle from Hagrid's hut the crisp November frost making the grass crunch beneath his trainers. Neville, Ginny, Luna and himself had gone down to see the friendly gamekeeper to see if there was any news from the Order or more importantly Harry, Ron and Hermione, but they were returning empty handed, although with stomachs full of Hagrid's hazardous toffee. There were all quite excited however because that night was going to be the first night they used the orb they had taken from Dumbledore's office in an actual mission. In the week since they had gotten the orb they had simply tested it out every now and again, willing to see the Carrows and immediately getting clear images of their location in the balls misty depths.

The artefact really was incredible, for example if the Carrows were in two different places the orb would simply show two images one of each side. Two days ago Luna had made the most exciting discovery of all when she had been watching Alecto talking heatedly with Snape. Luna had wished to herself that she could hear what they were saying and suddenly she could hear Alecto demanding to know why Snape had sent Neville, Ginny and Luna to Hagrid instead of giving them to Amycus and herself as if Alecto were standing right next to her. She didn't get to hear the rest of the conversation as at that point her two girls from her dorm came in and she had to de-activate the orb, which was simply accomplished by wishing very hard to be totally ignorant.

Waving goodbye to Luna as Ginny, Neville and himself wondered up to the Gryffindor common room Seamus steeled himself for the night ahead. He was determined that this time it would be he that was in real danger having been left behind the last time. He would finally have a chance to show that he was a Gryffindor for a reason. All the other boys in his dorm had had chances to do this so far and had succeeded. Ron was always on adventures with Harry and Hermione, Neville had been involved in the battles at the Ministry of Magic two years ago and at Hogwarts when Dumbledore died. Dean was on the run and apparently doing a good job of evading the snatchers, as the Daily Prophet was always very quick to announce any 'magic stealers' that had been caught or killed. And there was no point in listing off the achievements of Harry Potter over the last six and a half years. No it Seamus who always got left behind, Seamus the joke. Well not this time, this was his time.

Neville, Ginny and Seamus waited in the common room until everyone else had gone to bed, pretending to play wizard chess to pass the time.

Neville nodded nervously to Seamus as the last two Gryffindors climbed the stairs leaving the three revolutionaries alone. The two boys stood up each of them taking out an ordinary looking Galleon out of their pockets.

"Ok Ginny are you sure you have the Galleons totally worked out?" Neville asked her nervously.

"Yes General Sir" Ginny said sarcastically "we tested them out earlier remember?"

"Ok just checking" Neville replied quickly. The plan was that Ginny would stay behind in the common room with the orb and would use the Galleons to warn the other three where the Carrow's or Snape were. It was a slight understatement to say that Ginny was not happy with this arrangement.

"I still think I should be one of the ones going" she said with a sigh "why couldn't Luna stay back with the orb?"

"We've gone over this a hundred times" Seamus said to her a stern expression covering his normally smiley face "they already have it out for you because of your family and what you did last week, if they catch you again they might do something nasty." Ginny didn't reply but turned her face away from the two boys. Seamus was suddenly struck by how amazingly strong she was inside, and by how her hair looked tucked neatly behind her ears. 'No. Don't go there' he told himself firmly looking away. 'She's quite clearly still in love with Harry and before him she had a long relationship with Dean.' He put her from his mind for the moment and returned it to the more pressing matter of what they were about to do.

They met Luna outside the Room of Requirement as usual, the three of them dressed in their white DA robes and masks. So far Ginny had reported through the Galleons that both the Carrows were fast asleep in their private quarters and then sent another message telling them how this was disgusting her to the core. The three of them moved off to their first location, the staff room, Seamus and Neville at the front holding their wands out ahead of them and Luna behind with the Galleon out in her hand ready for any message Ginny might need to send them. When they reached the room Seamus performed a quick silencing spell on the noisy stone Gargoyles and the two boys crept into the deserted room leaving Luna outside. Neville and Seamus took off their masks and pointing their wands at them whispered,

"Geminio" and immediately the mask divided. A Gleeful smile spread across their features. As they stepped outside Luna whispered to Neville,

"Ginny just contacted to say that she is now looking at Snape who is guarding the entrance hall, she also says to avoid the fourth floor corridor near paintings of merlin and Morgana as Flitwick is on duty there." Neville nodded and the trio made their way to their final location, the Muggle Studies classroom.

Alecto Carrow had taken the previously homely room and made it her own. Where once before the wall had been adorned with pictures of Muggle Artefacts it was now adorned with photos of Death Eaters, enough to terrify any rebellious student into submission. This time Seamus and Neville took out their wands and with a flick streams of gold paint shot from the end.

Amycus Carrow felt like he was about to explode. After hearing the withering shriek from his sister Alecto he hurried into the staff room after her only to stop in his tracks when he saw what was waiting inside. Each of the teachers chairs which lined the room was adorned with a white mask, each with a huge grin on it's features. They were just like those worn by the mysterious attackers at the Quidditch match. If it wasn't his most valuable possession he may well have snapped his wand from anger. A small chuckle from behind him announced the arrival of Professor McGonagall.

"What is so funny?" Amycus seethed at her.

"Oh nothings funny Professor Carrow" the transfiguration teacher replied with her usual dry voice "I was just thinking about how these masks make for much more pleasant viewing than what I usually have to look at in here."

"Since you are in such a good mood this morning Minerva" Alecto said in her slimy high pitched voice "you can go and fetch Mr Longbottom and Miss Granger from your house. They must be severely punished for this."

"There is no evidence that it was them" McGonagall replied drawing herself up to her full height which was superior to the squat Carrows "you cannot punish them."

"I think you will find that we can Minerva. In case you haven't noticed things are slightly different around here now" he said with a horrible wheezing laugh.

"Oh you might have the authority" McGonagall replied "but if you so much as lay a finger on those students without any evidence that it was them then I am sure that you will find yourself in a very different situation in this school Professors." She used the last word with such distaste that Alecto started forward, drawing her wand but at that moment Professors Flitwick and Slughorn arrived and she was forced to back down. When Alecto found the Letters DA painted over every single death eater photo later that morning, each of whom was swearing loudly about it, she nearly stormed right up to Gryffindor tower to try and sieze them herself before her brother reminded her that they needed McGonagall's to get in. No they would bide their time and try and catch the vandals in the act. No-One made a fool of the Dark Lord.

The first time Seamus had seen the Carrow's faces that next morning he had been filled by a great rush of hope and excitement but that soon wore off as the Carrows increased their cruelty, especially towards Ginny and Neville. Even the slightest infraction by Neville in Dark Arts or Muggle studies warranted some horrible hex or jinx which Seamus then had to remove when they left the lesson. Despite telling himself not to let himself get dragged into anything with Ginny Seamus was finding himself constantly drawn towards the red head. Every time he saw her his mouth went dry and he found he couldn't say anything. He would find himself absent mindedly staring at her at meals and nearly always sat next to her in the common room usually without thinking. What was happening to him? He couldn't fall for Ginny, that situation was way too complicated. Though she was available, he thought to himself, and he could swear he had caught her looking at him when they had gotten changed in the Room of Requirement before the last night time sabotage, which they were keeping to once a week on different days to try and throw off the Carrows.

When Christmas came all four members of the DA were going home on the train for the holidays, in fact every student in the school was going home escape from the schools oppressive regime which seemed to get more severe by the week. The four of them had taken a carriage with Pavarti and Lavender as there was not any space for them to have one just to the four of them. Anyway they all glad to have a chance to be normal again rather than always talking about DA matters. Ginny was ecstatic about going home to her family, she had been worried all term about her family. Noticing that Seamus wasn't smiling as much as the others she went over to sit next to him.

"Aren't you looking forward to seeing your mum and dad Shay?" She asked brightly.

"Um it's just me mam and me, me dad died two years ago…………cancer. It was at Christmas time actually." He said turning his face away.

"I never knew" she said slightly shocked.

"Only Dean did. I told him not to tell you guys, you were all so caught up in the DA and everything, and you know fighting the bad guys. I mean none of you even noticed that I kept crying all the time." He said still facing away from her.

"I'm really sorry Shay" she said taking his hand.

Suddenly felt the train slowing until in finally came to a standstill. All six of them drew their wands but no sooner had they turned towards the door than they all flew out of their grasps and onto the floor. Four Death eaters were standing in the doorway and the corridor beyond. The Death Eater in front was huge and had long blond hair.

"Now which one of you is Luna Lovegood then?" he said in a sneering voice before laughing. Just two minutes later and the train was moving again and the Death Eaters were gone taking Luna with them. All five of them were shocked into silence by what had just happened. It was Pavarti who broke the silence.

"You three" she said turning to face the three DA members a tear running down her cheek "you know those white cloaks and masks. Well we're going to need a set." Lavender nodded in agreement. The three DA members didn't even try to pretend they didn't know what she was talking about, they just nodded in reply.


	12. The Choices of Master Finnegan 2

Chapter 11- The Choices of Master Finnegan- Part Two Revelations

Seamus would never forget that Christmas. It was just him and his mother as their relatives in Ireland had all wisely decided to stay away. Glad to finally be out of an atmosphere of fear and intimidation he was more lively and happy than he had been in months. But there was something about his mother that wasn't quite right, she kept giving him nervous glances and then looking away quickly, as if she really wanted to tell him something but couldn't quite bring herself to do it. On Boxing Day he found out what it was. They were both sitting down in the lounge, Seamus examining the brand new broom his mother had gotten him the Firebolt 2.0.

"Mam this must have cost a fortune." He said to his mother.

"Well I thought you could use a little cheer after the term you've had. It sounds horrible." They both were silent for a moment before Mrs Finnegan dropped down into a chair by the fire facing her son.

"Seamus there's something I need to tell you……….I have been meaning to tell you this for years but I've never been quite able to do it…………But now it just seems right."

"What is it?" Seamus replied leaning towards her and holding her shaking hand.

"Your father" Mrs Finnegan began shakily "well…..he wasn't your father. Your father was killed by Death Eaters just after you were born. His name was Fabian Prewett…………I know this is a shock but I only didn't tell you because well…..I met the man who you thought was your father when you were only a year old and you wouldn't even have remembered Fabian and well……………….I wanted you to have a father." Seamus didn't know what to say, he was totally stunned, for a moment he just stared at his mother.

"Um….so that would make me Seamus Prewett then" he said slowly, his mother nodded. It was taking awhile to sink in, his head felt all fuzzy.

"Um……….ok" was all he could mumble out.

"He was a great man Seamus, part of the Order of the Phoenix, I would have been to but he wouldn't let me, said it was too dangerous. Would you like to see a picture?" she asked hopefully. Seamus looked at her for a moment not knowing whether he did or not before nodding slowly. His mum left the room and then sat down next to him holding a dusty frame.

"Had to get it out of the attic" she said wiping the dust off it. When the dust was cleared from it he found himself gazing down at a tall smiling man with a slightly round face, light sandy hair like his own and a short beard, he was waving animatedly at Seamus.

"Before now I never really realized quite how similar you are to him" his mother said a proud air to her cracking voice "he would be so proud of what you are doing at school. You're a pure blood you know as he was but like him you're too human to let that matter at all…………I know that before I wanted you to stay out of trouble………well I've decided that as long as you are like your father I will be proud of you. Promise me that you will never give in to these……these…..monsters who took my husband from me, never. No matter what they threaten you with, never give into them, never surrender." There was a fire burning in her eyes now that slightly scared Seamus but at the same time inspired him.

"I promise mam" he replied. For the rest of the week before he went back to school Seamus was closer to his mother than ever before and when she saw him off at Kings Cross it seemed like a weightier and more important farewell than ever before.

Seamus saw Ginny struggling down the corridor of the Hogwarts express with her trunk and he rushed to help her but as he came to grab the other side of it two first years came careering down the corridor at full speed laughing wildly. Seamus pulled Ginny out of the way as they raced past and then realised quite how close they were to each other, Ginny was pressed quite tightly against his chest.

"Hey Shay" she said looking up at him "I missed you." There was something in her eyes that seemed like longing or sorrow.

"I missed you too" Seamus stammered out so quietly it was almost a whisper. For a second they simply stayed where hey were staring into each others eyes. Then Seamus pulled Ginny up and kissed her softly on the lips. A door screeching open down the corridor made Ginny pull away.

"Are you guys coming or not?" came Neville's voice from down the corridor. It didn't sound like he had seen the position they had just been in.

"We'll be there in a sec Nev" Seamus called down to him and Neville ducked back into the compartment. They both breathed a sigh of relief.

"We'll talk when we get there." Seamus said to Ginny. She nodded smiling before taking his hand a pulling him down to their compartment.

"Oh Ginny I had something to tell you." Seamus said just before they reached their compartment.

"What is it?" she said turning around.

"Well you know what I told you about my Dad on the train……..well it turns out that he wasn't my Dad."

"No way" she said in a disbelieving voice.

"Yeah it's true me Mam told me that she hadn't said before because he was killed by Death eaters in the last war just after I was born. She said that she wanted to wait until I was old enough."

"So what's your real name?" Ginny asked in an excited voice.

"Seamus Prewett" Seamus said proudly before noticing that Ginny had gone totally white "what's wrong?"

"My mum's maiden name is Prewett" Ginny replied in a shaky voice "her two brothers were killed by death Eaters near the end of the first war." This revelation nearly knocked Seamus right off his feet.

"Err Seamus what did your mum say your Dad's name was?" Ginny asked in a shaking voice. At first he didn't reply, not daring to.

"Fabian Prewett…….That's the name of one of your mum's brothers isn't it?" he asked already knowing the answer by Ginny's shriek of joy as she flung herself on him in a huge hug.

"You know what this means don't you?" She asked him a huge grin spreading across her face. "We're cousins."

"Yeah and that makes what we were doing about three minutes ago very questionable indeed." Seamus replied. They both stood and stared at each other for a second thinking about what this meant for their relationship.

"It's probably for the best isn't it? Cousin." Seamus asked holding out his hand to his new found cousin.

"Yeah I think so……Cousin." She said taking his hand and the two of them went into the compartment where Neville, Pavarti and Lavender were waiting. As he sat down next to Neville Seamus thought about how much things had changed in just two short weeks.

Seamus and Ginny didn't get to talk about their discovery much as Hogwarts was now even more of a police state than ever before. The only opportunities they had came in the common room but they were nearly always surrounded by the other DA members when there. They had decided not to tell anyone as they had wanted to actually talk to the respective family members first, mainly about why they had never known before, and since that didn't look likely until at least Easter they had decided just to wait until the current situation in the country was over, if that ever happened. With Pavarti and Lavender now on the team but with Luna gone the DA was now at the same strength as it had been when Colin was around. Their sabotage missions began again in earnest and with the help of the watching orb they always stayed one step ahead the Carrows who were now becoming paranoid. They conducted random bag checks in the hallways in the hope of finding a white cloak or mask but the DA had now become extremely adept at transfiguring the robes when they were on them to look like other objects.

At the end of January two more students entered the DA ranks. Michael Corner had discovered that it was them as he had recognised Ginny's handwriting on one of the mocking messages the DA left for the Carrrows to find. He corned Ginny after dinner and demanded they let him help, at first they had not been so keen but in the end relented. They were missing Luna's presence on the team as she had given them a perspective from another house and Michael could now give them that from Ravenclaw which then gave them the idea to approach someone else about joining up. Ernie Macmillan had always been a supporter of Harry and had been a member of the DA and so Neville approached him to be their representative in Hufflepuff. Ernie asked if he could recruit other members to join up but Neville told him that at that time they didn't want too many people involved.

As the frost gave way to rain in February the DA started to plot their most audacious mission yet, it was time that they publicly humiliated the Carrows.

"The only problem" Ernie said for the hundredth time that afternoon as he paced back and forth inside the room of requirement "is how to humiliate them in public without them knowing it was us."

"Thanks for that Ernie" Michael Corner replied sarcastically "that comment wasn't useful the first time you said it and guess what it isn't now."

"It's not like you've thought of anything." Ginny pointed out.

"What we need" Pavarti said "Is a way of doing it so they don't know where it's coming from. So we can't use any curses or anything because they leave nice big colourful clues as to where they came from."

"That's it" Neville said excitedly.

"That's what?" Michael said in a weary voice.

"I think I've got it" Neville replied excitedly "everyone gather round." That night Michael and Ernie each carried large amounts of smiling white masks to their respective houses.

The next morning at breakfast something seemed different to Severus Snape. Usually on a Saturday as it was on that day the students from all three houses would wonder down to breakfast at different times but today only Slytherin's table had gaps. The other three were packed full, something was about to happen and he very much doubted that he would like it. Amycus and Alecto however did not seem to notice as they were both smiling at the lack of any sabotage from the DA 'terrorists' as they were now being labelled by those two fools. At first it seemed that he had been mistaken and that nothing was going to happen but then he noticed that every student from the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables had fallen silent and had stopped eating. For several moments they all merely sat in silence facing forwards until they all as one put their hands into their robes and pulled out identical and very familiar white masks. The Carrows were no longer smiling but a look of hatred and fear was now pasting itself over their toadlike features.

The three houses then stood and turned to face the high table and in unison raised the masks to their faces. And then they did nothing, they merely stood and stared at the Carrows for what seemed an eternity.

"Who gave you those masks?" Alecto suddenly screeched from next to Snape breaking the silence "tell me or I will put everyone of you in detention." The only response that came from the waiting crowd was that they raised their wands, all pointing at the two Death Eaters. The Carrow's didn't quite know what to do but draw their own wands and continue to stare dumfounded.

Down in the crowd Neville subtly nudged Seamus with his hand to signal the time to start the next phase of the plan. With a quick flick of his wand the goblet in front of Amycus rose into the air and before he had time to respond with his own wand the pumpkin juice it contained was emptied over his head. This opened the floodgates and pretty soon objects all over the place were flying at the Carrow's; goblets, plates, bowls and cutlery. This was the true genius of the plan, Neville ahd know that because Wingardium Leviosa leaves no trail of sparks to incriminate the user he knew that once one person used it others would join in safe in the knowledge that they would not be found out.

The Carrows and Snape tried their hardest to destroy all of the missiles as they came but they were only three people and pretty soon the Carrows and Snape were fleeing the room forks bouncing off their heads. As soon as they left the masked students all sat took off their masks and left the hall themselves to thunderous applause from the rest of the teachers table, Seamus could see that Professor McGonagall was crying. They became more adventurous after this. Almost every other night they went out into the castle to sabotage the Carrows but little did they know that they walking into a trap.

One night near the end of February Seamus, Neville, Ernie, Michael and Ginny all went out into the castle to paint the letters DA on doors leaving Lavender and Pavarti behind to co-ordinate with the orb. Pavarti and Lavender could see that both of the Carrows were asleep and that Snape was in his office. This was going to be easier than ever they thought to themselves. However they did not see the group of black robed figures walking up from the dungeons. Seamus was just finishing a door when he thought he heard a sound behind him, it was just the faintest of sounds, he barely even heard it, but it was unmistakable as the sound of several wands being drawn. He just managed to duck in time, pulling Neville with him as several stun spells flew just over their heads, however they did hit their hoods and their they flew off along with their masks which smashed on the wall and floor. They heard a chuckle from the darkness in front of them and Blaise Zabini stepped out of the darkness flanked by two younger Slytherin's all of them with gleeful looks on their faces.

"Well Mr Longbottom and Mr Finnegan" Blaize said with a smug air of triumph. The Professors Carrow will be most pleased to hear about this. Looking down at the floor in despair Seamus saw that his Galleon had fallen on the floor and he could see the words 'Help Shay and Nev on fifth floor Captured!!' imprinted around the edge. They just had to keep Blaize talking until help could come.

"So where's Draco Blaize? Your master not around?" He said to the sneering black boy.

"Draco Malfoy is not my master" Baize seethed "he is not here because he is off doing well….."

"Real Death eater business" Seamus said ending the sentence for Blaize.

"The Carrows made me the leader of their discipline squad not Draco" the slytherin spat at them.

"Yeah because he turned them down probably" Neville answered staring defiantly up at his captor "why would a real Death Eater want to play pretend?" Blaize started to raise his wand at this but whatever spell he was about to cast never came out as he was sent flying by a stun bolt from behind as Ginny charged towards them. The two boys who ahd been with Blaize also hit the deck as Michael and Ernie arrived. Not wasting any time they all sprinted off towards their various Common Rooms. On the way the three Gryffindor members had to blast their way passed Crabbed and Goyle as well but eventually reached the common room. Frantically whispering Galahad they slipped inside to find a very white looking Lavender and Pavarti waiting for them.

"We're really sorry guys" Lavender said in a fearful voice "we were only checking the Carrows and Snape, we didn't see them coming until it was too late."

"It's ok, it's ok, we all make mistakes." Ginny said before turning to the two boys "you know what this means don't you………they know who you are."


	13. The Choices of Master Finnegan 3

Chapter 11- The Choices of Master Finnegan- Part Three Little Warrior

Seamus and Neville had detention everyday for a whole week after that. They could both tell that the Carrows wished they could do more but McGonagall always seemed to turn up near the boys in the corridor and refused to allow the two death eaters access to the Gryffindor common room. Still detention ever night meant that they were regularly having the Cruciatus curse used on them and Seamus noted after four of these detentions that it was not a sensation you ever became used to, every time seemed more painful than the one before. The two Death eaters would always ask them to name the other DA members before each dose of punishment but the two boys would always remain silent, waves of agony their reward. Still this was nothing compared with what was to come.

The rain was beating down on the window as Mrs Finnegan did her washing, she didn't even hear them coming.

Seamus was told the news by a delighted Amycus the next day.

"So Mr Finnegan if you ever want to see your mother again you will give into our demands. You and your friends will stop your activities, you will tell me who is involved and you will not put a step out of line all year."

Seamus walked numbly back to the common room his mind in another place, with his mother in her cell. As soon as he entered the room the others rushed over to him gathering around.

"Well I guess we'll have to stop now won't we." Neville said once Seamus had told them, the others all nodded in agreement.

"No" Seamus said firmly "no we won't. At Christmas me mam made me promise her something she said 'promise me that you will never give in to these……these…..monsters who took my husband from me, never. No matter what they threaten you with, never give into them, never surrender' and I don't intend on breaking that promise."

"But Seamus they'll kill her if you don't give in." Pavarti said.

"I know…………but there's a good chance they will kill her if I do. She told me never to give in. She foresaw that this kind of thing might happen and I won't break my promise to her." And with that he stalked up to the dormitory leaving the others stunned behind.

Two days later and the Carrows found the words Dumbledore lives plastered over each of their doors and summoned Seamus to see them. They had taken much less interest in Neville as his Gran had gotten away.

"So Mr Finnegan it seems that you do not take us seriously. You know your mother begged for mercy when they tortured her." Amycus spat at him, circling him like a vulture circles it's prey.

"That's a lie" Seamus said simply.

"How can you be so sure little warrior" Alecto said mockingly before kicking him in the back of the knees causing Seamus to fall to the floor.

"Because she may not be a warrior but she has more dignity in her little toe than you two have combined. She would never beg to scum like you."

"You know we were present when the Prewetts were killed" Amycus said noting the shock which spread across Seamus's face. "Oh yes we know. You know they didn't beg either, didn't save them though did it?"

"It's better to die with honour than live a slave" Seamus said raising himself up proudly. Amycus's lip curled nastily.

"Is that so little warrior, Crucio." And all was stars again for Seamus.

This treatment carried on for weeks but Seamus would still not let the DA give in, if anything their activities increased. The castle was now swarming with slytherins at night and so they had to be very careful when moving around the castle. Finally just before Easter the day Seamus had been dreading came. Amycus dragged him into his room by his ear, Alecto laughing behind.

"What do you pigs want today?" Seamus asked defiantly. Amycus didn't reply but instead drew a small note from his robes and threw it to the young Irishman.

"Read" he said a cold smile on his lips. Seamus looked down at the note and in a few short words his world ended.

Amycus

The boys mother was terminated at 6:00 AM this morning. Hope you are well.

Dolores

Seamus stared into nothingness before him. He no longer saw Amycus in front of him, he no longer heard their cruel laughter. He didn't notice the pain that came from the cruciatus curse. He didn't see the furious look on Amycus face at the lack of screaming, he didn't feel the punches and kicks that started to rain down on him. He didn't hear Alecto's screeches or the sound his skull made as they smashed it against the cold stone floor. He didn't see the long silver knife that Amycus drew from within his robes, he didn't hear the taunts Alecto sent his way as Amycus brought the dagger to his skin he didn't feel it when it sliced into his skin again and again and he didn't fell the warm blood cascading over him. He didn't see, hear or feel it when the two Death Eaters threw his limp, blood covered body out of the room. Nor did he realise when Ernie, Michael and Neville lifted him up in shaking hands and carried him away. Seamus Finnegan's world had ended.

He woke up the next day in an unfamiliar bed. He no longer had the numbness that had struck him immediately after reading the note but this in turn meant that he could now feel the pain and emptiness inside. Sitting up he looked around himself and recognized the room of requirement, except instead of a base of operations it was now in the form of a hospital. White linen beds lined the wall with cabinets of medicines here and there. Neville, Ginny and Lavender were at the end of his bed looking down at him with white ashen faces except for the blotchy red patches around their eyes were they had obviously been crying.

"Morning" Neville said softly "How……do you………..how do you feel?" he asked faltering.

"Dead" Seamus said quietly.

"It was a good thing we found or you probably would have died" Ginny said in a shaky voice "we found this stuck your chest. Seamus I'm so sorry." She was holding the note.

" It was a good thing that Pavarti and Lavender are in the group actually" Neville said trying to steer things away from the note "they're the only ones here who know any healing magic. Later we're going to move you to the hospital wing because….." but Seamus heard no more as he drifted back into unconsciousness. Later when he woke again it was one the familiar hospital wing beds he was in. To his surprise he saw Professor McGonagall sitting at the end of his bed.

"What are you….what is going……….what?" he croaked out pathetically.

"I'm your guard Mr Finnegan, in case those……….things come looking for you again………………I'm so sorry Mr Finnegan I should have protected you from this."

"Don't be" Seamus croaked out before slipping back into sleep.

Seamus spent the next two weeks up until Easter in the hospital wing. It seemed that the dagger Amycus had used was cursed and the wounds were proving difficult to get rid of. Madame Pomfrey had told him that he would probably always have the scars from them. When the Easter holidays came by Neville decided to stay with Seamus who had no where to go even if he had been in a fit state to leave the castle. Most of the rest of DA however were all going home by order of their parents. Seamus managed to hobble down to the station to see them off giving Ginny an extra large hug before she left. Little did he realise that events elsewhere would mean that he wouldn't see her for several months. All his limbs ached as he stood on that cold windy platform supported by Neville, but that was nothing compared to the emptiness he felt inside. As the train pulled away and he lost sight of Ginny leaning out of the window. He turned and buried his face in Neville's chest and for the first time………….he wept.


	14. Jaws of the Wolf

Chapter 12- Jaws of the Wolf

_Be warned that some of the things that Fenrir Greyback does, thinks and says in this chapter are of a quite disgusting nature and can be found in certain areas of Harry potter fandom. They do not reflect any of my own tendencies or likings in fiction. The reason I put them in there was purely to make Greyback as disgusting as possible._

Dean Thomas's legs felt like they were about to fall off, he had been sprinting solidly through the woods, a heavy goblin on his back. He could hear the shouts and laughs of his pursuers growing more distant. He didn't know where Ted, Dirk and Gornuk were, Ted had told him and Griphook to keep going when he stopped to help Dirk and Gornuk. The noises of his pursuers were getting fainter now but still Dean did not stop running, it still did not feel safe enough to stop especially without his wand which had been blasted out of his hand by one of the snatchers. Dean Thomas, with Griphook the Goblin ran on into the night.

Andromeda Tonks hurried down the stairs tying her dressing gown around herself, she could hear hushed voices from the living room. It must be Remus back with news from the Order she thought. As she neared the sitting room door she noticed that the voices had gone silent. She entered to find her heavily pregnant daughter Dora weeping into her new husbands arms. Remus looked up and saw her in the doorway and she could tell why her daughter was crying by the ashen look on his face, the grief filled apology. Andromeda gave a short gasp of grief before a great emptiness spread through her as she sunk to the floor, silent tears running down her cheeks. The wails of sadness would come later, right now it was an overpowering grief which gripped her silently as if the whole world including her own voice had faded away and all she was left with was the emptiness inside. Her husband, her best friend, her life and love was dead.

"………..Keep twiddling those dials: the next password will be "Mad-Eye". Keep each other safe: keep faith. Goodnight." Lee Jordan finished next to Remus as another addition of _Potterwatch_ hit the airwaves.

"How long before we'll do another one?" Remus asked.

"I think we'll leave this one playing for a month or so. That should leave us another safe place to broadcast, don't like to stay in the same place for one of those delightful ministry types to track us down." Fred replied "Why'd you ask?"

"I need to know when to get back here to do the next one. Hopefully I'll bring good news with me." He turned to leave but Kingsley pushed him up against the wall.

"Where are you going Remus? Tonks is nearly nine months pregnant!!" he growled.

"I'm going to find Dean Thomas. Ted gave his life saving that boy I just know it. That's the kind of thing he would do. On his own with just a goblin for help he doesn't stand much chance especially……especially if what Arthur said is true and it's Greyback that got Ted. I just know he won't be satisfied with only half the spoils, he'll go after Dean as well and I can't let that happen. He's only seventeen." Remus answered. Kingsley stared at him for a moment before dropping him from against the wall.

"Good Luck" he said in his deep voice "you will need it."

Dean and Griphook had been on their own for two days now and were starting to get desperate. Apart from Griphook's knife they had no way of getting anything satisfactory to eat and even if they managed to catch anything without Dean's wand they had little way of cooking it. They were still in the New Forest but about two days south of where the snatchers had found them. Dean could still remember the snarling delighted face of the lead snatcher, vicious and evil, almost inhuman as he leaped like an animal into the light of their campfire grinning with sharp yellow teeth. As he sat with his back to an old oak tree in a small clearing, Griphook snoring to one side Dean's thoughts turned to those he had left behind. By now it felt like he was living in a different world to that world in which he had spent the last six years of his life.

This was of course not a new feeling for him, he had been feeling something similar for the six years before in respects to his own family. He loved his family but he found that he could no longer be one of them, his world was just too far removed from theirs. Whenever he was back for the holidays he realised quite how removed he had become from them, there were no conversations he could truly join in with. He couldn't even talk about West ham, his favourite football team, with his Dad anymore as he had lost more and more interest in football as his love of Quidditch had grown. No he no-one he could go to talk about things with, how was his mum or dad supposed to help him with his summer homework or talk careers with him when they had no idea what he was talking about. No Dean had been alone in that respects for quite some time.

His thoughts turned to Hogwarts, the place he had considered his home for years now, Seamus was probably there right now. He had grown so close to Seamus these last few years, as Ron, Harry and Hermione had grown closer they had grown farther apart from Seamus and himself. They were still friends but they no longer spent the time together that they had before, then of course there was Neville who was stuck in the middle. He didn't know what he would do if Seamus weren't around anymore, he was the one person in the wizarding world whom he felt he could really talk to. Even when he had been going out with Ginny he had still felt like he could talk to Seamus more than he could to her.

He didn't really know what to do now, he had always had someone to tell him before. He'd always had the teachers at Hogwarts to guide him especially those he'd liked a lot like Professor Lupin or, strange as it was to think of him as a teacher, Harry. He wished he had someone like one of those two with him now. As if on cue Remus Lupin crashed through the bushes across the clearing. Dean and the now wide awake Griphook stood up and backed against the tree, Griphook brandished his knife threateningly.

"Dean Thomas………..it's so good to see you." Said Lupin struggling to his feet.

"Wait" said Dean as Lupin took a step forward "how do I know that you are the real Lupin?"

"Well done Dean. Well done." Said Lupin ecstatically "That is just the kind of attitude you need to survive. Let me see…..how can I prove…..uuuuuuuummmm. Oh I know in my first lesson as your Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher I taught you how to fight a Boggart and yours transformed into a particularly gruesome looking severed hand. Is that satisfactory?"

"Very much so" Dean answered running forwards and pulling his former teacher into a bear hug "you don't know how good it is to see you."

"It's good to see you too Dean, especially as I was specifically looking for you." Lupin replied once Dean had let go of him.

"How did you know where to find me?" Dean asked.

"Arthur Weasley managed to find out where it was that Ted was killed." Lupin said his voice suddenly full of sadness "so this was where I came first."

"I'm sorry Professor Lupin I did all I could but……" Dean started to say but Lupin cut him off.

"Don't worry Dean I have no doubt that you did all you could to help my father in law, you are a Gryffindor after all. Oh and please call me Remus, I haven't been your Professor for many years."

"Sorry Profes…I mean Remus. There's one thing I still can't work out, how did they know where we were. I mean we hadn't been near any villages or towns for days." Dean said.

"I'm afraid I can answer that one as well. It seems that the ministry has found a way of tracking non-human or part human apparitions. You see normal wizarding apparitions cannot be tracked as there are simply too many of them happening at once, trying to find any one persons magical signature would be like finding a needle in a haystack. However because non-humans and part humans have different distinctive magical signatures and because they are very few non-human or part human people who would be apparating in this country they can now track them. Except for house elves apparently, Arthur Weasley was telling me the other day that house elf magic is so alien compared with that of humans that it is impossible to detect. Anyway it is safe to say that when they saw that two goblins were being transported by side-along apparition in your case they put two and two together." Remus said with a grimace.

"Yet another way for the wizards to try and oppress my kind." Griphook growled from behind Dean "Yet another bridge they burn."

"I am afraid so Griphook." Remus said looking down at the Goblin "Unfortunately this gives us a very immediate problem as I am the only one of us with a wand and only you Dean can apparate unnoticed. On the way here I took a rather charming trip on a muggle bus however I think Griphook here might be noticed rather easily so we will have to walk."

"Walk where I may ask?" Said the goblin clearly still suspicious of Lupin.

"To my mother in law's house just south of London. It will be a long walk and I would most like to be home for the birth of my daughter so let us hurry." Lupin answered as he turned to leave the clearing with the midday sun beating down on them from above.

Fenrir Greyback sniffed at the old oak tree that lay at the centre of the clearing. Yes there was the scent he had been tracking, a boy in his late teens wearing old worn clothes over a worn out unclean body a body he could play with all he wanted when he got hold of, he could almost taste his young flesh on his tongue. How he would make him squeal.

"Can you smell anyfin boss?" Came the voice of Scabior, one of the imbeciles he hunted with, from behind him snapping him back to attention.

"Yes" he growled "and the goblin too. Let's get mov…." He was stopped in mid sentence as a new, but familiar scent wafted up from the ground. Could it be? Here? With the boy? Excellent that fool Lupin was here. He couldn't wait to sink his teeth into his weak and puny flesh but for very different reasons to the boy, he did not wish to play with Lupin as he wanted with the boy, he did not desire Lupin as he did the boy, no he just wanted to rip him to shreds.

"They have about a day and a half on us boys" he growled "and they now have help, but it is from someone who will get us a large reward if we get im." He glared around at the men around him "None of you is to touch the boy, I wish to have some fun with him. The adult is also to be left to me but if it seems like he will escape take him down. He does not have to be alive for us to get our reward" And with that he led them into the black forest.

Dean sat down next to Lupin outside their tent. The older man smiled at him in acknowledgement and then returned to gazing into the dark forest in front. For several moments Dean did likewise. It was Lupin who broke the silence.

"You know apart from Harry you were the only student who came to see me after they found out I was leaving…….all those years ago……….why?"

"I dunno" Dean said shrugging his shoulders "you were the best teacher I had ever had. I learned so much from you. Also you were, well, you were someone I could really admire in the wizarding world you know. I guess because I came from a muggle family Hogwarts always seemed like a different world to me to my home life and well I've always been looking for people in the wizarding world whom I could look up to, you know role models, a bit……….and this is going to sound a bit corny…………a bit like parents you know. My parents at home can't understand about our world, they seem to think that it's not as serious as theirs. I haven't got anyone to talk to about wizarding things. So anyway I guess I came to see you because you were the closest I had to a father in the wizarding world." Lupin was taken aback by this answer that seemed to spurt from the heart. He had had no idea that his short time at the school had made such an impact on someone.

"Well………I guess that you can talk to me if you like." He said trying to sound casual.

"Really?" Dean asked "Ok well I've always wanted to be able to ask someone about wizarding careers…." They talked for most of the night until the sun started to rise.

"We'd better be going" Lupin said standing up "as good as it has been to talk to you Dean I think you really should have gotten some sleep. You need your strength."

"It's alright" Dean answered "I'm used to not sleeping by now." They woke up Griphook and once more resumed their journey.

Two days later and they found themselves nearing the edge of the forest their legs extremely tired when suddenly Lupin stopped.

"No, no, no, no, no" he said before stumbling off into the forest. Dean rushed off into the woods after him.

"Remus what's wrong?" he enquired when he came upon his former teachers stooped form.

"I'm…………so sorry Dean" Lupin gasped out clutching his sides "I took the potion but there must have been something wrong with it. I can already feel myself losing control." Dean looked up at the sky above and two his horror he saw the full spring moon staring down at him.

"Run Dean while you still can." Lupin yelled before his eyes started to glass over, his limbs jerking and elongating and spasming. For a moment Dean just stared but then a yell from Griphook behind him and he sprinted away with all the speed his tired limbs could muster. The wolf creature which only seconds before had been Remus Lupin turned towards the retreating boy his tantalizing scent filling his nostrils but before he could chase down his prey a new scent reached his nose, that of a rival. Before he could turn towards this new scent it was upon him and a huge grey blur sent him sprawling.

Fenrir Greyback in wolf form was even more huge and terrifying than his human self. Towering over Lupin his huge grey furred frame spoke of years of cruelty, large scars from battles with rivals littered his huge form, his eyes had become even wilder and more fanatical than usual and they were now a deep crimson. Lupin pounced back upon his attacker and the two wolves rolled down a hill to one side of the clearing biting, snarling and clawing at each other as they tumbled to the pine needle covered floor below. The wizards following in Greybacks wake stayed at the top of the steep hill watching their master fight for supremacy. Although Greyback had given them a spray which would repel him when in wolf mind the same could not be said of this other wolf and none of them wished to join the two below. Lupin, the wolf slammed onto the floor of the forest below but Greyback's head smashed into a pine tree at the foot of the hill and he slumped to floor unconscious. Lupin went to bite his fallen foe's neck and end the fight but stun blasts from the snatchers above sent him whimpering into the night.

It was about mid morning the next day before Dean stopped for a rest. Griphook's little legs had given way long before and he was now being carried on Deans back. Dean desperately hoped that Lupin was alright, it had been great to have someone to lead him again, someone to help him feel safe. He knew that he shouldn't sleep but he couldn't help it, months of sleep deprivation coupled with a lot of running had finally gotten to him and he dropped onto the grass below and slipped into nothingness. He was awoken by being shaken and he heard laughter around him, harsh laughter. When he opened his eyes he wished he hadn't. Fenrir Greyback's severely batters and cut face was right in front of his own. The animalistic man was smiling baring his sharpened teeth. Suddenly he inhaled through his nose and then ran his tongue along Dean's cheek covering it in his hot saliva. Dean tried to get away from this disgusting creature above him but soon realised that he was pinned to the ground by the two powerful thighs of the horrible creature straddling him.

"Don't be so hasty my little friend" Greyback grinned grabbing the bottom of his robes starting to pull them up "We're going to have such fun together." But then one of the other snatchers rushed over to Greyback.

"Boss we've been ordered north someone just said the name" he blurted out.

"The name" Greyback replied "must be someone important, could be big money this. Let's go." He got up of Dean and dusted off his robes.

"Tie up the boy and the goblin, I'll have my fun later." He said giving Dean a feral smile. Dean could only guess what that meant. Seconds later he was being apparated far away and then shoved against a tree. He heard lots of shouting behind him and suddenly someone was being tied to him on the other side.

"Has anyone still got a wand" he heard a familiar voice say from behind.

"No" said two other familiar voices. Dean couldn't believe it it couldn't possibly be them could it.

"This is all my fault. I said the name, I'm sorry-" came the first voice again and now dean was sure and joy and despair filled him all at once.

"Harry?" he asked.


	15. Shell Cottage

Chapter 13- Shell Cottage

Dean felt his feet thud into soft, wet ground his senses disoriented from the apparition. At least he was on his feet, Luna had fallen to the floor along with Mr Ollivander and Griphook was staggering like a drunk towards a dark building up ahead.

"Is that Shell Cottage Dobby?" Dean asked the little elf who was helping Luna pull Mr Ollivander to his feet.

"Yes Mr Dean. Dobby must be going now to help Harry Potter" the little elf said.

"Good luck" Dean said kneeling down to Dobby's height "and thank you." And with a _crack_ Dobby was gone.

"Could I have a little help Dean" Luna's soft voice came from beside him "he may be weak from captivity but Mr Ollivander is still a grown man."

"Sorry" Dean replied hastily as he ran over to pull Mr Ollivander's other arm over his shoulder. The two staggered towards the house before two figures approached them out of the darkness.

"Dean Thomas? Luna Lovegood? Are you there what is going on? Griphook wouldn't say he just told us to ask you?" came a man's voice.

"Are you Bill and Fleur?" Dean asked in reply.

"Yes they are" Luna replied for them "I met them at their wedding. That was such a fun day. It think the death eaters ruined it a bit though."

"Vell Yes but vhat are you doing ere?" Asked Fleur in an impatient voice.

"We can talk later" Dean said "but first we have to get Mr Ollivander inside."

"Right" Bill said "Luna why don't you let me take that side." Bill and Dean carried Mr Ollivander the rest of the way inside.

When they got downstairs Dean was about to explain what was going on when a loud crack came from outside. They all rushed out to see a small group of people who had just landed a short distance away. Two of them came towards them and they saw that it was Ron. Bill's roar of delight was cut off however when he looked first at Ron's ashen white face and then at the crumpled and bloodied figure in his arms, it was Hermione.

"Quick take her to the upstairs bedroom." Bill said to his younger brother. Fleur and Luna looked like they were about to follow him in but then Harry's voice suddenly yelled out from where they had landed.

"Dobby – no – HELP!" They all started to sprint towards his voice "HELP!" The sight that awaited them made Dean stop stock still.

Harry was kneeling in front of Dobby the house elf who was swaying on the spot. A dark stain was spreading across Dobby's front, he stretched out his thin arms to Harry with a look of supplication. Dean could hear Luna and Fleur crying beside him, all of them staring still as death at the scene before them. Harry caught him as he fell and laid him sideways on the cool grass.

"Dobby, no, don't die, don't die." The Elf trembled and whispered his last two adoring words.

"Harry…..Potter….." Only then did Dean realise that he too was crying.

An hour later and Dean was standing at the window of the small cottage looking out at Harry, still digging under dark sky which was becoming steadily lighter as the night moved towards morning. Ron appeared next to him and Dean turned to greet his old friend.

"It's good to see you Ron" he said pulling his old roommate into a hug.

"It's good to see you too Dean" the redhead replied "how have you been."

"As good as you can be on the run" Dean answered "but I guess you know all about that."

"Yeah but at least I had my friends with me you were all alone." Ron said.

"I had friends……………….they didn't make it though." Dean said.

"I know" Ron replied "I heard. We heard you you know, months ago. You were by a river bank in Wales with Ted Tonks and the others. We were in our tent with enchantments and stuff. We were dead excited. You understand why we could reveal ourselves."

"Of course mate. Of course……….Seems like a million years ago that." Dean replied returning to watching Harry.

"I think we should go help him" Ron said also looking out at Harry.

"Yeah, he did save our lives." Dean replied turning around to go and find a spade.

For the next few days Dean and the others saw very little of Harry, Ron and Hermione, instead he found himself spending most of his time with Luna. At first he had been apprehensive about this, not that he didn't like her it was just that she was quite weird. But as the days went by he found that he was getting used to her strange comments. It wasn't just cottage itself which lay under the protection of the fidelius charm also but the small area of woods and up to the cliff over looking the sea. This was where Dean and Luna spent most of their time, either sitting by the cliff looking at the waves and talking about Hogwarts or walking through the woods where Dean would humour Luna by pretending to look for Glefles with her. He had been excited to discover what the DA had been up to at Hogwarts and was especially glad to hear about Seamus and Ginny, he had never quite gotten over what she had done to him.

About two weeks after they had arrived at the cottage it was time for the first of their number to leave but this was overshadowed by far by the news which followed the departure. Only minutes after Bill had returned from taking Mr Ollivander there came a bang on the front door. Everyone's heads turned towards it. Fleur came running out of the kitchen, looking frightened; Bill jumped to his feet, his wand pointing at the door; Harry, Ron and Hermione did the same. Silently Griphook slipped beneath the table and out of sight. Dean felt quite redundant and useless standing there without a wand, still he picked up the meat knife next to plate, it was better than nothing.

"Who is it?" Bill called.

"It is I, Remus John Lupin!" called a voice over the howling wind. Dean could have jumped for joy, he had been worried about what had happened to the kind professor ever since he had seen his transformed self running off into the distance. "I am a werewolf, married to Nymphadora Tonks, and you, the Secret Keeper of Shell Cottage, told me the address and bade me come in an emergency!"

"Lupin" muttered Bill, and ran to the door and wrenched it open.

Lupin looked quite similar to how Dean had last seen him. His face was white and he was wearing the same matted grey travelling coat he had been wearing before he transformed, how he had gotten it back Dean didn't know. He straightened up making sure of who was there, then cried aloud, "It's a boy! We've named him Ted, after Dora's father" When he said the name Ted his eyes found Dean's and he smile grew even wider.

That evening was as fantastic a time as Dean had had in many months, it was great to see Remus again and it was only when Remus said,

"I'm so sorry for what happened Dean" and the others looked at him in puzzlement that Dean realized that he hadn't actually told the others what had been happening to him before he met them. So he told his tale right from the beginning, a tale just as dramatic as their own they now realised. A tale of Dementors, Death Eaters, Vampires, surprise friends and sad ends. He ended the tale with the end of the short brawl between Lupin and Greyback not wanting to go into what had happened after. But Lupin urged him to tell more and finally Dean told them all about how the snatchers had caught him and about what Fenrir had been about to do.

"Oh Dean I'm so sorry" Hermione said taking his hand "in all the chaos we totally forgot to even ask you what had happened to you.

"It's all my fault" Lupin said quietly from the other side of the table "I never was any good at making that potion. I put you in danger and then abandoned you. Can you forgive me Dean?"

"Of course I can Remus. Without you I wouldn't have even lasted until that night probably." Dean replied.

"You're a good man Dean Thomas. Yes that's right I said man because that's what you are, just as much as Harry and Ron have lost their adolescence to this war so have you. You are a far greater man than you give yourself credit for." Lupin said smiling. Dean felt slightly uncomfortable after this so he turned towards Harry.

"Anyway I know that you have been beating yourself up about saying the name and being caught because it led to Dobby's death and Hermione being tortured. Well what I'm trying to say is that well…….I don't like to think about what would have happened to me if you hadn't. So even though it cost Dobby's life, it undoubtedly saved mine………….thanks." He said awkwardly. Both boys just stared at each other smiling for a moment not really knowing what to say before both turned away.

"Boys!" Hermione, Fleur and surprisingly Luna all said in unison shaking their heads before everyone once again dissolved into fits of laughter.

Two days after the baby had been born there was a problem. Andromeda Tonks hurried into her daughter's bedroom to find Nymphadora and Remus both crying over the cot of their two day old son Teddy.

"What's wrong" she said hurrying over to the child but she didn't need an answer, she could see that the child's tiny chest was not rising and falling and that its skin was extremely pale. Seeing the look of anguish on her daughter's face Andromeda started to cry as well but already an idea had sprung into her mind, an idea to make it all right again. She knew that her daughter and son in law would never agree to it though, she had to wait until they left. After about an hour Remus said to his bereaved wife.

"Let's go downstairs and get a drink eh. I think you need one" and the grieving couple left the room and walked downstairs.

Andromeda Tonks walked over to the cot shaking with the knowledge that she was about to use a piece of magic which hadn't been used in hundreds of years of wizarding history, the _delego venia _it had been called in the dusty ancient scroll she had found alone hidden in the walls of Grimauld place as a child. Then she had assumed that it was a well known spell but when she reached Hogwarts she found no mention of it in the library. She had even asked Albus Dumbledore if he had ever heard of a spell of that name,

"Delego Venia………Delego Venia………I'm afraid not Miss Black. If my Latin is any good, which I am sure it is considering the many dull hours I was forced to put into learning it, I would say that it translates into Transfer of Grace. I don't suppose you know what it does?" He asked peering over his spectacles with a smile.

"No" the young Andromeda had lied deciding that the spell was far more trouble than it was worth.

Andromeda stood over her grandsons still cot and placing her wand to her heart she said in a clear voice,

"What grace is given to me Andromeda Tonks let it pass unto him by the Delago Venia". She gasped from a sudden pain in her chest which felt as if all the energy in her body was rushing to her wand point. Withdrawing her wand from against her heart with great effort she had to close her eyes as leading from the tip of her wand to point against her chest where it had been placed was line of dazzling white light. She heard footsteps running up the stairs and knew that Remus and Nymphadora had been alerted by the great rushing noise which now echoed from the room. She placed the wand tip to the still chest of her grandson and suddenly the great wind stopped and all was perfectly still and quiet. All that remained was the line of perfect white light which connected the two. And then with a rush the line broke and she fell to the floor.

Everything had gone hazy for Andromeda Tonks. She was dimly aware of her daughter's delighted shriek when Teddy's cries broke the silence. She was also aware of her son in law kneeling by her side.

"What did you do Andromeda?" he said in a delighted voice "I've never seen a spell like that before."

"I gave him all but one year of my life" she said gazing up into faces which turned from joy to pain as they grasped fully the sacrifice she had made through the Delego Venia.

It had been three days since Lupin had visited with news of Teddy and Dean and Bill were by the back door about to go down to the rocks which fell inside the fidelius charms protection to try and get some sea food for dinner when they heard a knock on the door. Bill pulled out his wand and once again called out,

"Who is it?"

"It's Remus again" came Lupin's voice. Bill yanked open the door with a grin on his face but stopped his enthusiastic greeting when he saw the serious look on Lupin's face.

"I need to talk to you, you can come to Dean" Lupin panted "but no one else." Puzzled the two of them went outside with him and closed the door.

"It's Andromeda" Lupin began "she's dying. A few days ago Teddy stopped breathing, well he died actually. Andromeda used some spell to bring him back but she says that it now means she only has one year left, her body gave so much power to Teddy that all the cells are dying."

"What was the spell?" Dean asked in a stunned voice.

"She won't say. Says it's too dangerous" Lupin said grimly.

"I think I understand why" Bill said "I mean imagine if the Death eaters got hold of it. We'd never be able to kill him. People would find ways to force others to do it. It's way too dangerous."

"That's what I thought too" said Lupin "I just wanted to tell you face to face so that it's not a shock when…………well you know when the time comes. Nymphadora's taken it really hard. She just lost her dad and now her mum too. But still at least Teddy is alive." They nodded.

"One more thing. Please don't tell Harry, Ron and Hermione. They have enough on their shoulders as it is without other people's problems weighing them down. I'll tell them when it is all over. Anyway I must be getting back." And he apparated away.

The rest of Dean's time at Shell Cottage went by pretty uneventfully until one day Harry, Ron and Hermione announced that they would be leaving with Griphook the next day. As usual they refused to say where they were going although Bill had told Dean that Griphooks presence with them meant that Gringotts was almost definitely involved. This made Dean and Luna feel very uneasy. The trio had left with Griphook by the time Dean awoke the next day. The atmosphere around the cottage that day was the most uneasy it had been since dean had gotten there, the same thing was on everyone's mind.

In the early evening Dean found himself alone with Luna in the sitting room. He had become more and more close to her over the past month or so. He liked to look at her long blonde hair and her wide grey eyes. He was dimly aware that she was speaking and he snapped himself out of his dreaming.

"Anyway……….what I was saying was……….I really like you Dean" Luna said looking nervously at him "its ok if you don't like me back. Plenty of boys have said it." Dean was so taken aback that at first he didn't answer but then he stammered out.

"I really like you too Luna" Her smile was so wide it looked to dean like it was about to split her face in two.

"Do you like me enough to kiss me?" she said shyly.

"Yeah…….yeah I think I do" Dean replied and leaned in. His lips were about an inch from hers when she pulled back sharply.

"Oww" she said reaching into her shirt.

"What is it what did I do?" Dean asked trying his best not to look.

"No not you. This hurt me." Dean looked down to see that she had pulled out a golden Galleon that had been hanging around her neck like a locket. "It suddenly burned, it must be a message."

Looking down at the Galleon Luna read out it's message,

'_All DA members to Hogwarts. Harry is here. Apparate to the Hogs Head and Speak to the Barman. The Revolution is here!!'_

Stunned they stared at each other. Their near kiss seemed so insignificant now.

"That was probably for the best" Luna said.

"Probably" Dean replied before they both snapped out of it and ran into the other room.

"Going to Hogwarts" they yelled as they ran to grab their cloaks past a startled Bill and Feur "tell the Order to Apparate into the Hogs head directly if they want to fight. Harry's there."

"Thanks for Everything" Dean added poking his head back around the door. Taking Luna's hand and smiling at her Dean waited for that familiar pulling sensation as Luna apparated them away. They were just two close friends on their way back to Hogwarts, they doubted however that there would be a feast waiting for them this time.


	16. Reinforcements

Chapter 14- Reinforcements 

_Going back in time again now to catch up what has been happening at Hogwarts while all this Dean related fun has been going on. The events of Reinforcements roughly fit the events of Jaws of the Wolf timeline wise._

Neville, Pavarti, Michael Corner and Ernie MacMillan made their way out of the front doors of the castle. The Carrows didn't seem to be pursuing Seamus at the moment but he had still stayed away from their lessons since moving back to Gryffindor tower from the hospital wing. That could all change however and someone always stayed with him in the common room in case the Carrow's finally succeeded in forcing Professor McGonagall to open the portrait hole. It was early evening and an uneasy silence had fallen over the freedom fighting group and they strode down across the grounds towards Hagrid's cabin. None of them were saying it but they were sure that this was a very bad idea indeed. They had received the note that morning from Dobby the House Elf.

_Dear Friends of Harry Potter_

_You are invited to a Support Harry Potter Party this evening at Five 'O' Clock. At my Hut. There will be food._

_Hagrid_

When he had seen the note Neville had felt ok about it. At the time he had thought that only he and Pavarti knew about it because they had been talking when he had received the letter. As the day wore on though Neville saw that more and more of the old DA members were clutching similar notes and whispering together. 'What was Hagrid thinking?' he thought to himself as their small group wound their way down the path by the vegetable patch to Hagrid's hut. 'What if someone betrayed them? What if one of the Carrow's Discipline squad got hold of one of the notes? Or worse one of the Carrows themselves.' It was for this reason that the four of them were wearing their white DA robes, bewitched to look like school ones, with their masks in their pockets bewitched to look like parchment. The disguise may have become pointless for Neville and Seamus but it still worked fine for the rest of them.

Pushing open the door to Hagrid's hut they found Anthony Goldstein, Terry Boot, Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Justin Finch-Fletchly, Padma Patil, Hagrid and Dobby all sitting around on chairs. There was a picture of Harry hanging from the ceiling and a banner saying 'Support Harry Potter' hung next to it.

The four of them shuffled in towards the chairs. Neville pulled Ernie to one side however and whispered in his ear.

"Watch the window. Anything suspicious at all, let me know." Ernie took his place by the window so that he could see the castle doors through the gap in the curtains. The others all joined the former DA members around the room, Neville stayed standing.

"Welcome, Welcome." Hagrid said grabbing Michael's hand and shaking it so hard Michael fell off his chair "Great to see yer. All of yer. Dobby told me that you lot were in the DA two years ago an I thought it'd be good to get all those who support Harry under one roof."

"Are you sure this isn't a bit dangerous Hagrid" asked Terry Boot anxiously from one of the massive armchairs. "I mean if the Carrows find out this would be a gold mine for them. As you said 'All those who support Harry Potter under one roof'." The others nodded in agreement, Padma tried to open her mouth to say something but unfortunately her jaw had been glued shut by the piece of Hagrid's homemade toffee she had been eating.

"Nonsense. How would they find out? I've been careful, I only invited those who were in the DA." Hagrid replied shaking off their protests. Still they felt very uneasy and Ernie stayed by the window.

About half an hour went by with several hearty toasts to Harry, Ron and Hermione were made with raised Butterbeer bottles. Only Hagrid was really enjoying himself though, the DA members past and present remained on edge. Ernie looked out the window and once again saw no movement from outside. He was about to turn away when something caught his eye. A leaf caught on the wind had suddenly stopped in mid air and fallen to the ground as if hitting an invisible barrier. Ernie looked harder and saw that there was an area of air near the castle that seemed to be slightly distorted, and seemed to ripple and as he watched, the ripple seemed to move right towards the cabin. And then as if through divine inspiration it hit him. He turned and grabbed Neville, pulled him over to the window and pointed at the moving ripple approaching the cabin.

"Disillusionment Charm" he hissed "their coming."

Neville was immediately in action mode.

"Pavarti, Michael by the door with cloaks and masks. Ernie stay at the window cloak and mask as well." Turning to the others he pulled on his own mask on and transfigured his robes into the brilliant white cloak of the new DA.

"It is you lot then" Justin said "we kind of figured it was you guys but we never knew………..you could have told us."

"We didn't want too many to know because we didn't want anyone hurt. You know what happened to Seamus. Anyway now is not the time to talk about this. The Carrows are on the way with their lackeys so you guys need to get out of here." Neville replied.

"But we want to help" said Anthony Goldstein withdrawing his wand.

"The best thing you lot can do to help is to not get yourselves expelled which is what will likely happen if you are caught here." _Or worse he thought to himself _"go by the back door and skirt along the edge of the forest and then double back to the castle." Anthony nodded and they hurriedly left by the back door.

"This is all my fault" said Hagrid "You leave too"

"Not a chance Hagrid" Pavarti said firmly "they'll kill if they can and you know it. We won't let that happen. We'll hold them off while you get yourself and fang out of here." Hagrid looked like he was going to object but it was too late, a loud thump on the door was followed by Alecto Carrow's wheezy voice.

"Come out, Come out. We know you are in their Hagrid and we know that you are entertaining. If you don't want them tortured give yourself up."

"Hagrid" Neville said "maybe you should." He then winked at the gigantic gamesman. A look of understanding crossed his face. Neville called the other DA members to him and whispered instructions to them. They nodded and they all took up positions flat on either side of the door. Hagrid then pushed the door outwards and stepped down with Fang at his heels growling.

"Allrigh, Allrigh I'll come quietly but there aren't any others here. They all decided not to come." Apparently very relieved that Hagrid was giving himself up Amycus only took one cursory glance at the apparently empty cabin before returning to his victim.

"What a shame" he sneered a look of glee on his face "These helpful students here here were very much looking forward to saying hello to their school mates."

"Yeah" said Hagrid very loudly so Neville was sure it was for their benefit "Now you have yourself, yer sister, Crabbe, Goyle, Zabini, Nott, Parkinson and Bullstrode all just to capture me. Eight people on just me. Talk about Overkill." So there were eight of them. He mouthed _'Stunners'_ to Ernie and Pavarti on the other side of the door. Outside the situation was fast becoming one that they couldn't let go on any longer. Hagrid had been forced to his knees by combined spells from the two Carrows.

"Now filthy half breed" Alecto said licking her lips "it's time we finally got rid of you." They both raised their wands. Neville decided they couldn't wait any longer and gave a sharp nod to Ernie on the other side of the door. The four of them leapt into the open doorway and yelled their spells.

Alecto and Amycus were taking completely by surprise. Amycus took two stunners to the chest and flew back several meetings before landing hard on his back. Alecto was hit as well but by only one spell. Michael had been the only one of the group not to aim for the two Death Eaters and had instead sent Theodore Nott flying with his stun bolt. For a moment the other slytherins were in shock at this withering assault and Zabini, Crabbe and Millicant Bullstrode only just got their shield charms up in time to avoid a similar fate. Goyle however had not even raised his wand when Ernie's stun bolt knocked him out as well. It did not however take them long to recover and even with half their group knocked unconscious they still had just as much force as the DA. Hagrid himself was on his feet and was charging towards the action which had moved towards the castle.

"No Hagrid" said Neville as he saw what Hagrid was doing "You get out of here, we can handle this." For a second Hagrid looked like he was going to ignore him but eventually he nodded.

"Right you are Harry" he said "I mean Neville. Sorry it's just you are so much like him now. Good Luck." With that he turned and charged off towards the gates with Fang following behind him. Turning back to the battle Neville saw that even though the slytherin's had had a momentary numerical advantage while his back had been turned they had not made any headway. This was because the DA had perfected their defensive tactics in the Room of Requirement and were virtually impregnable to a frontal assault. By fighting very close together, shoulder to shoulder often, they could have one shield charm to cover them all. As long as it was strong enough they could have one person constantly casting '_Protego_' while the others focused on offence. Moving forward in this pack the DA were quickly overwhelming the slytherins who were using powerful spells but not with any group tactics. Once Neville rejoined the others it turned into a rout. First Zabini was sent flying backwards and then the others quickly joined him sprawled on the floor. The DA quickly made their way back up to the castle before any of them could be revived.

They headed straight for the Room of Requirement to drop off their cloaks and masks.

"That was too close" Michael Corner panted "What was Hagrid thinking."

"I don't know" Neville replied "I don't know. How did they find out I wonder"

"Well that's easy enough to answer" said Pavarti darkly "the only old DA member who wasn't there was Zacharias Smith."

"He wouldn't" said Ernie Before faltering "at least………I think he wouldn't. Zacharias is a right git but he would never do that. I don't think."

"It doesn't matter" said Neville "What matters is that everyone got out safe." They all agreed with that. They collapsed onto the chairs that were in one corner of their small headquarters. After a few moments Ernie broke the silence.

"Neville I think we should let the other old members in." He said firmly expecting Neville to disagree.

"I was thinking the same thing" Neville said to everyone surprise "I mean……we need the help and…..well……I know we said we didn't want to get people hurt but well these aren't excitable first years we're talking about. I mean those guys have had all the same training we've had. We'll invite them to a meeting then. Agreed?" They all nodded and then departed to their respective common rooms.

Two days later they were in the Room of Requirement with all the old DA members eagerly trying on white cloaks and masks which the room had provided. It had also made itself larger to accommodate the larger group of people.

"Ready everyone" Neville said in a low whisper and they all set out on their first mission together. The Carrows and their 'discipline squad' didn't know what had hit them. They were overwhelmed, the Carrow's took refuge in their office but the slytherins could not escape. Crabbe, Goyle and Parkinson all spent the next few days in the hospital wing with different body parts growing out of their foreheads. The school woke up to see the words 'DA still Recruiting' and 'Dumbledore Lives' painted all over the school.

The next week however, tragedy struck. The Ravenclaw's had been taking their turns with the watching orb when they had seen that a first year boy had been left chained up in Amycus's office. Michael Corner had gone to free him with Terry Boot as lookout while Anthony Goldstein watched on the orb from their common room. While the others were on their way to Amycus's office Anthony realised that something was very wrong indeed. The Carrows were not showing up anywhere in the castle and neither was their 'discipline squad'. It was as if they had vanished…..

Michael Crept into the office as quietly as possible. Luckily him and Terry, who was now waiting at the end of corridor as lookout had met no resistance on the way down there. He got all the way over to the hanging boy before realising that something was wrong. The boy was not struggling or even making any noise. Michael reached out to touch it but his hand passed right through it.

"Lifelike isn't it." Came a familiar wheezing voice as the two Carrows and about six slytherins appeared around him, removing their disillusionment charms. "Now Mr Corner you're a Half-Blood am I correct?" Asked Amycus. Michael nodded slowly.

"How unfortunate for you" Amycus sneered as they closed in around their prey.

Michael spent a whole week in the hospital wing before he even woke up again. Madame Pomfrey had originally been worried that he might never wake up. He had a similar guard as Seamus had had a month or two before. After this there were no more rescue missions or daring graffiti trips at night. They couldn't afford someone else getting hurt. Instead they hurt the Carrows in other ways. Mainly they helped other students avoid trouble as much as possible but it was becoming hard, the Carrows seemed to be becoming even more intent on stamping their authority on a student body they had long ago thought crushed.

They had obviously decided, quite correctly, that Neville was the leader and so pursued him more than anyone, especially as he was the only one apart from Seamus that had conclusive proof against. After Muggle Studies one day Alecto kept him back afterwards. Closing the door she looked at him for a moment before saying quite calmly,

"Crucio." Neville felt the agony ripple through every part of his body, he screamed as his body spasmed uncontrollably. Once it had finished he felt a cold silver knife cut his cheek. A thin trail of his blood splattered the floor.

"That was for all of the trouble you have caused me." Alecto wheezed. "Don't worry you are not going to have the same treatment as your friend Finnegan or that stupid Ravenclaw, what was his name ah yes Corner. Nasty common names the both of them. Your Pure Blood and so are too precious to damage too badly, unless of course you push us too far. How is young Seamus anyone, I haven't seen him for ever so long." She said with a laugh.

"The jokes on you" Neville said with a satisfied smile "Seamus recently found out that he's pureblood after all. His real names Prewett. I don't think your master would be too happy to find out about what you did to him would he." Alecto had turned a deep red.

"Oh I've known that for ages but in little Seamus's case we just couldn't resist a bit of fun. You know I was there the night the Prewett brothers were killed. Oh well, it's a good thing we kept little Seamus alive then isn't it" she spat.

"Not for lack of trying" Neville snarled.

"Careful Longbottom. You don't want me to push me too far or my wand might just slip. The Dark Lord would forgive a little slip of the wand" Neville sincerely doubted that he would but also decided that he really didn't want to find out.

"Why am I here?" he said defiantly crossing your arms.

"Hmmm yes lets get to the point shall we" Alecto sneered. "You see while the Dark Lord is keen for us to keep all young Purebloods alive, old purebloods past childbearing age are fair game. Here it is Longbottom plain and simple. I have juts received word that tonight some friends of mine are going to pay a little visit to your Grandmothers house. And if you don't give me the names of all your little rebel friends and cease your criminal activities I'm afraid she will have to go the way of Mrs Finnegan. I want those names by five tomorrow Longbottom." She grabbed hold of him and, opening the door, shoved him from the room.

"Not so tough now are you" she laughed before slamming the door.

Neville walked up to the common room in a state of shock. Pavarti, Lavender and Seamus were sitting by the fire. Seamus still looked bad, his face was still all swollen and puffy and the cuts, from what Madame Pomfrey said must had been a cursed knife, kept re-opening themselves meaning that Pavarti and Lavender kept having to dab potion on them every few hours. Still it was an improvement, he was now much more recognisable that he had been and the cut's were opening less and les often by the day meaning that hopefully they would finally heal sometime soon. He was also showing signs of recovering mentally as well. He was talking a lot more and the old Seamus was starting to shine through again.

Neville sat down with them and upon seeing his grim face they fell silent. After a moment or two he blurted out everything that had just happened with Alecto. They all looked shocked And Pavarti asked,

"Oh Neville is there anything we can do to help?" in a quiet voice.

"Well………….Seamus" he said turning to his friend "I just want to know. Why did you decide what you decided." For a second Seamus didn't answer but just stared straight ahead.

"There were several reasons" he said after awhile "and don't think I didn't want to run down to the Carrow's and tell them anything they wanted to know because I did……….all the time. But I had promised me……mam……… at Christmas that I would resist the Death eaters in every way I could. She saw it coming you know. She was much…much………..much smarter than she let on……..she knew what they would do. That's why she made me promise. So I did, I resisted with everything I had, and it killed like hell inside. But it was right you know. And anyway you can't make deals with these people. Even if I had done everything they had wanted do you think they would have let her go. Not a chance. I mean they could have……………..killed her……………..anyway and not told me. Just carried on telling me to behave while she was………….dead…..all along. No Neville you can't deal with these people." Tears were now flowing down his face.

"Thanks man" Neville said leaning over to hug his crying friend.

Neville barely slept that night, he kept having dreams of his Gran being attacked by men in cloaks. He was awoken by a tapping noise. He sat up and pulled back the curtains and to his considerable shock saw probably the strangest thing he had ever seen in his entire life. The supposedly stuffed vulture from his Gran's old hat was tapping it's supposedly dead beak against the window whilst keeping itself up with it's supposedly dead wings. The noise had now the woken Seamus and had joined Neville at the window.

"Hey isn't that…" Seamus started.

"Yeah it is" Neville interrupted.

Seamus reached forward and opened the window. The vulture flew in and dropped a letter and Neville's feet before abruptly turning around and flying back the way it had come. At first they both just stood still before Neville came to his senses and grabbed the letter. Ripping off the envelope he read it in seconds.

_Dear Neville_

_I am afraid that yesterday our dear ministry of magic decided it would try and arrest me. They obviously thought I would be easy to take and only sent one man. Well now they know a little better because Dawlish is in St Mungo's and I am safely at your Great Uncle Bertie's. I just want to tell you that how proud I am of you. You truly are your parents son._

_Love _

_Gran_

_p.s. You didn't really think the vulture was for fashion did you? I am old not blind._

Neville could have danced for joy. His Gran was safe and best of all for the first time she had said she was proud of him. Him and Seamus hugged and set out for Breakfast. However no sooner had they gotten into the Great Hall then they spotted the Carrows up at the top table. This in itself was as since they had been embarrassed at breakfast all those months ago the Carrows had taken to having their food in their quarters. Neville and Seamus stayed were they were in the entrance, not quite sure what to do. They soon had their answer,

"They're over there!!" came Pansy Parkinson's screech from the slytherin table. The heads of the two Carrows snapped to see where she was pointing and Amycus yelled,

"Get them."

"I think they've decided that you're expendable after all Nev" said Seamus as the two of them turned on their heels and fled, stun bolts flying over their shoulders. They only just made it into the Room of Requirement.

"Do you think they were going to expel or kill us?" Seamus asked the heavily panting Neville.

"I don't know" Neville answered "but I wasn't about to find out. Well it looks like this is home for a while." As soon as Neville said the word home the room around them changed, it grew bigger, the table with map was replaced by a large dining table. The seating area also grew and all around them hammocks were springing up.

"Whoa Nev. I never knew you change it while you were inside it. How did you do it." Seamus said stunned.

"I asked it" Neville replied.

"Well I could get used to this." Said Seamus moving off to inspect their new home more thoroughly. "Ask it for food." Neville tried but this didn't seem to work even though he tried all that day.

"Soooooooooooo hungry" said Seamus at lunch time the following day.

"I know" said Neville pacing back and forth "you've said about twenty times now. I just wish I could get something to eat." As soon as he said it an opening appeared in the wall behind him. Seamus snapped to attention and stood up with his wand pointed at it.

"How come that never happened before?" Seamus asked.

"Dunno" said Neville "I guess because before I was directly asking the room for food and this time I just wished I could get some."

"That must be it" said Seamus. "Do you think we should go in there?" he asked.

"Yeah I think so" said Neville "It wouldn't have opened up if it wasn't related to my wish and my wish was for food. What can it harm us?" So they both walked down the long corridor and at the far end stepped out to find a very startled and grumpy looking old man in an apron staring at them warily.

"Who are you?" Neville asked holding up his wand.

"I'm Aberforth Dumbledore" said the man "owner of the pun. Who the hell are you?"


	17. The Battle of the Houses

Chapter 15- The Battle of the Houses

Seamus and Neville were beginning to get the hang of using the Room of Requirement after three days. The room had now morphed into a very large room indeed with a high ceiling, a hospital area in one corner, a virtual library of books along the walls and a partitioned toilet room. Still they were also finding life rather dull with only each other for company, not including their morning and evening trips to the Hogs Head through their new secret passage and even then the only added company they had was Aberforth the angry barman.

"If your surname is Dumbledore then you must be related to Professor Dumbledore then?" Seamus asked him once when they had gone to get some food for dinner.

"Yeah he was my brother." Aberforth said without looking up.

"How come they haven't like arrested you or something then?" Neville asked

"Because I'm not stupid enough go and shout it at Death Eaters that's why." Aberforth grunted before going into the back of the shop. This was pretty much how most of their conversations with Aberforth went. When he had first agreed to provide them with food they had made a fake galleon for him by which he could tell them when the pub was empty and it was safe for them to go get food. On the third morning they were there they had discovered that if they wished for an exit from the room that the Carrows and slytherin's would not know about a door would open up to a random part of the castle. They hadn't actually stepped out of it yet as they had had no reason to escape the safety of their new home.

On their fourth day their Neville felt a familiar burning in his shirt pocket and drew out his DA contact galleon. On it he could see thin spidery lettering.

_Pavarti here. Carrows know about Lavander and me but have guard outside ROR. _

After a few seconds message would fade and a new one would appear.

_They think we are in Gryffindor tower and have barricaded entrance. _

_We are actually in broom closet on fourth floor near Flitwicks office._

_How do we get to you?_

"Seamus make an exit and come back and tell me where it is." Neville said turning to his fellow fugitive. Seamus nodded and after screwing up his face in thought a passage appeared to his left. He hurried down it and when he reappeared he told Neville.

"Third Floor Nev next to the Statue of Gregory the Grim." Neville quickly sent this location to Pavarti and Lavender via the coins and then he and Seamus went down the passage to wait for their friends. It was night and so the corridor was deserted. They waited several minutes before seeing two dark figures sprinting along the corridor towards them. Neville and Seamus raised their wands just in case but soon enough Pavarti and Lavender's flushed faces were clearly visible through the gloom. The two boys hurried them inside the passage before allowing the gap to close once more trapping them once again in their secret home.

"This is amazing guys!!" Said Pavarti loudly as she ran over to the sitting area in "how did you get it so big."

"Just wished it" Neville replied "I'm getting quite good at it."

"I can't get it to work half as well as Nev." Seamus added "So how did you guys get caught."

"It was really silly of us actually." Lavender replied "The Carrows have really cracked down since you guys escaped them. They're really determined to root out the rest of us. Pavarti and I decided to wear our white robes transfigured in case we had to escape undercover like at Hagrid's hut. The Carrows have caught up with our tactic though and as soon as we got to Dark Arts he used _Specialis Revelio_ on the whole class and of course our robes turned white. Luckily Pavarti had her wits about her and used the last of our darkness powder so we could escape."

"Well there goes the disguises" said Seamus "still you got away that's what matters."

Pavarti had been wondering around looking at the rooms features.

"Err guys……one thing, if we are going to be staying here we need showers. Proper ones with cubicles. And I think you guys should use them." The two boys blushed and Neville immediately screwed his eyes up in concentration and soon enough a partitioned shower room sprang into being.

"Much better" said Lavender.

Over the next few weeks many more members of the DA found their way to the Room of Requirement often bringing other students who had not previously been in the DA but who were also suffering under the Carrows renewed brutality. Pretty soon there were upwards of twenty students in the Room of Requirement all from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.

"It was easy enough when it was just the two of you" Aberforth grumbled one evening as Neville, Ernie, Michael corner and Anthony Goldstein were collecting their evening meal from him "now I'm feeding a bloody army!!"

"You love it really" Neville replied as the boys climbed back into the tunnel. Despite being stuck in the Room of Requirement all day the newly enlarged DA found ways to occupy their time. The 5th, 6th and 7th years who were new were put through a rigorous training program under the tutoring of the DA veterans studying the Patronus Charm with Seamus and Michael, Jinxes and Curses from Ernie, Justin Finch Fletchly and Hannah Abbot, duelling technique from Susan bones and Anthony Goldstein and group battle tactics from Neville. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th years were taught by Pavarti and Lavender from the library around the wall as well as learning the med-magic that the two girls knew. Altogether it was quite a happy life for the fugitives. After three weeks however they ran into a serious problem, a third year Ravenclaw had developed quite a serious virus which was beyond Pavarti and Lavender's skill to cure.

"Can't we jut wait for it to pass?" Ernie said as Neville, Seamus, Pavarti, lavender and Ernie gathered to discuss the matter.

"In such a small space it would soon spread to everyone else" Lavender said shaking her head "we need to get her to Madame Pomfrey.

"All Right I'll take her" Neville said "with Michael and Justin." He hurried off to fetch them but as he passed Seamus he whispered in his ear.

"If I don't come back your in charge. And watch your Galleon in case I need help. Stay ready." Seamus nodded and hurried off to gather the best fighters in the group.

They waited an hour until it was past curfew in the castle outside and then Michael and Justin with Neville levitating the fitful girl before him climbed down out of the passage. They emerged in the transfiguration department near McGonagall's office. Luckily this meant that they only had to go down one floor and they would be right next to the Hospital Wing. On the way down they encountered no one and saw no sign of the Carrows or their discipline squad. In only about two minutes they reached the wing and tiptoed up to Madame Pomfrey's office. Neville knocked on the door as hard as he dared in the silence and sure enough a minute later the medi-witch appeared in the doorway dressed in a nightgown and slippers and looking bleary eyed.

"Longbottom what are you doing here. No one has seen you In weeks." She said looking in disbelief at Neville. "Where have you been."

"Sorry but I can't tell you that Madame. As for why we're here Sterris here has gotten quite a bad virus that we can't do anything about." He replied.

"Dear me" said Madame Pomfrey looking down at the now sleeping girl "well lets get her to a bed shall we." A minute or so later and she was tucked up in bed.

"Well Madame its about time the three of us disappeared again. Make sure the Carrows and their cronies don't find out that we were here or that she's here" Michael said as the three of them turned to leave.

"Of course not of course not" said Madame Pomfrey waving them away "and good luck to you." However the boys had gotten no farther than the doorway of the hospital wing when all their good cheer from having gotten the girl there evaporated. They were greeted by sarcastic clapping from the darkness.

"Very good, very good Longbottom. You've managed to hide for three weeks, but no longer. I'm placing you under arrest." Came the voice of Blaise Zabini from the gloom and at the word arrest the corridor was suddenly illuminated by about twelve wands each in the hand of a smirking slytherin.

"Where are the Carrow's then Zabini?" Neville said defiantly "Awfully brave of you to be out on your own."

"The Carrows are away on Death eater business." Zabini said "they have left me in charge of patrolling the corridors."

"Oh yeah because of course Malfoy must have gone as well being a real death eater." Neville replied.

"Him, he's pathetic. He cries in his sleep you know. No once I've captured or killed you and put an end to your pathetic insurrection then it will be I who is the Death Eater not Draco." Blaise snarled.

"There's just one problem with that………..you have to beat us first" Justin said raising his wand "and I don't think your good enough."

"Now come quietly like good little boys" sneered Blaise "we don't want anyone to get hurt." Neville didn't answer him but instead whispered to his two companions.

"Shield wall in the doorway, I'll send for help." Michael and Justin backed into the doorway of the hospital wing while Neville behind used his galleon to contact Seamus back at headquarters. When it became clear that they were not going to come quietly Blaise smirked again.

"So be it………….open fire" he growled and all eleven of his fellow slytherin's sent stun bolts into the doorway. Several missed and blew holes in the walls to either side of the doorframe. Those that didn't glanced of Michael and Justin's overlapping shield charms although the power of seven or so stun bolts at once hitting their shields knocked the two boys back a step before the hurried forwards to hold the door once more. Once Neville had sent the message he helped by projecting shield charms in front of his two friends from behind but it was no good. The constant pounding against their defences was taking it's toll on the three boys. Suddenly one of the stun bolts made it through Justin's defences and he slumped to the floor unconscious. Neville hurried to his place and standing over his body worked in tandem with Michael. They were really in trouble now but suddenly more stun spells were coming from their right and Seamus was there with seven others all firing spells as they ran. Michael and Neville shielded the new comers as they ran to take up their places between the Slytherins and the hospital wing doors.

The fighting stopped for a moment as the two sides eyed each other up, neither wanting to make the first move.

"How you doing?" Seamus said quietly to Neville.

"Good" replied Neville "although it's a good thing you turned up when you did otherwise we wouldn't lasted………Justin's down though." Seamus didn't reply but signalled down the corridor they arrived from and Pavarti emerged with a couple of fourth and third years.

"Stunned Pavarti" Seamus said as she levitated Justin out of the way.

"Longbottom" came a yell from Zabini and Neville walked through the massed DA to meet eyes with his adversary.

"In case you haven't noticed Longbottom you are still outnumbered. It's not too late to surrender." He sneered.

"In case you haven't noticed" Neville replied coolly "You couldn't defeat just three of us so I think we'll say no. It's not too late for you to surrender though either."

"You'll regret that" Blaise said and stalked to the back of his group.

"DA Partner Formation" Neville barked as he went to stand with Seamus. The Partner formation was a formation they had been working on recently at headquarters. It involved everyone splitting into pairs with pairs taking it in turns to do offensive and defensive spells, it allowed them to keep up a steady flow of offensive spells while still keeping a strong defence. The Slytherins had stayed in a solid block formation.

"Slytherin house has endured the three inferior houses for two long" Zabini said raising his wand and taking an attacking stance "it is time you were put in your place" and with that he sent a stun bolt straight at Neville which he promptly deflected while Seamus sent a stunner back and with that the whole corridor exploded into action. Spells were flying everywhere. The larger slytherin force was being slowly pushed back by the better organised DA and pretty soon they had fought their way furiously up the stairs to the fourth floor where the battle spread out in the wider spaces of the transfiguration department. If it had been daytime then the DA would probably now be receiving the aid of Professor McGonagall but unfortunately the teachers living quarters were far on the other side of the castle on the second floor, no in this they were alone. The battle had dissolved into lots of smaller duels, students darted in and out of classrooms blasting at each other before ducking behind desks which were promptly blown away.

Suddenly Filch stormed into the corridor but before he could say anything he was hit by a stray stunner and sent flying. Neville managed to get a stunner in under Pansy Parkinson guard and she slumped to the floor giving him and Seamus a chance to look around at the carnage surrounding them. Crabbe and Goyle were duelling against Michael corner and Anthony Goldstein. Crabbe managed to hit Michael but was then hit himself by Anthony who was in turn sent flying by a sixth year slytherin Neville didn't recognise. All over the hall the DA were starting to dominate as more and more Slytherins fell. Seamus and Neville couldn't go and help finish the job however as suddenly Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott were in front of them and were firing spells in their direction. Neville and Seamus tried to fight as a pair again but the assault was so ferocious that it soon turned into two duels. The two slytherins started to beat the Gryffindors back but pretty soon the two DA members found their rhythm and started to push forwards themselves.

Zabini and Nott backed into a passage hidden behind the tapestry of Goblin riots of the 1830's obviously trying to get Seamus and Neville into a smaller space where none of the DA could come to their aid. Seamus and Neville followed them and immediately had to duck as to stun bolts were sent their way as soon as they entered. The blast that Blaise sent towards Seamus was so close that it singed his hair. The passage was totally black which meant that their only reference as to the location of their opponents were the blasts of energy streaking towards them. The four boys continued their fierce all the way up the long steep stairway which led all the way up to the seventh floor. Nott and Zabini had the high ground but Seamus and Neville were now once again able to work as a team because the confined space in the passage. It was like a vicious fireworks display as red bolts danced backwards and forwards in the pitch black. Seamus and Neville were however steadily getting the better of their opponents as Seamus had turned to constantly shielding which freed up Neville to really pick his spot with his blasts. Suddenly they broke out into the seventh floor corridor. Now in a larger space the four boys once again split into two separate duels, Neville was fighting Nott while Seamus was engaged with Zabini about ten feet away.

Zabini and Seamus were now moving so fast it was difficult to tell who was stunning and who was shielding. Suddenly Zabini changed tactic and instead of sending the stunner at Seamus's torso as the young Irishman had been anticipating he yelled,

"_Expelliarmus_" and Seamus's wand flew out of his hand and into Blaise's outstretched hand. Holding the two wands over his head in triumph Blaise sneered,

"Ha I have both wands, what are you going to do now Finnegan?" Seamus's answer came in the form of his right fist straight into the middle of Zabini's face. Blaise dropped the wands and fell to the floor clutching his nose. Seamus stooped to reach for his wand bit Zabini, who had recovered fast, kicked his legs out from under him slamming Seamus to the floor. The two boys had now completely forgotten about wands and were just trying to do the most damage they could with their fists.

Neville and Nott's duel however had intensified and was now way down the passage where Nott had forced Neville through sheer skill. Neville could tell that Nott was a cut above the other slytherin's and was a far more accomplished duellist than Zabini. Neville's foot hit a stair and he realised that he had been forced onto the stairway up to the Owlery. He stumbled as because of this but fortunately Nott's next bolt was wide and blasted a hole in the step next to Neville's head. The two continued to duel all the way up until they arrived in the Owlery itself their blasts waking causing the owls that weren't out hunting to fly up of their perches and swoop around the two fiercely fighting boys adding to the maelstrom as wooden beams and platforms exploded around them.

Suddenly an owl bashed into Neville's arm causing his wand to fly off behind him. Nott's next stunner hit his other hand and although he wasn't knocked unconscious Neville was blasted backwards and hit his head painfully on the stone wall. Nott came to stand over him a gloating smile on his face.

"My squad may have failed but I have you and you are the most valuable prize Longbottom. I will well rewarded for killing you."

"Your squad!!!" Neville replied "I thought Zabini was the leader."

"He was the decoy. Did you really think that a half blood would be made leader over me who am not only a pure blood but also the son of one of the Dark Lord's longest serving Death Eaters. No Zabini is just a decoy and a bad one at that, he will never be a Death eater, he lacks the skill not to mention the right breeding." Nott replied with a smirk. Neville however had not really been listening to any of this because he had just realised that there was something sticking into his back and when he carefully felt behind him his right hand closed around the familiar wooden handle of his wand.

"Now to finish with you once and for all." Said Nott raising his wand.

"_Avada Kedavra_" he yelled a split second after Neville had whipped his wand around and yelled "_Protego_".

Nott's inexperienced killing curse rebounded off Neville's shield and hit him in the chest. His last expression was one of shock as the curse lifted him off his feet and out through the open owlery window behind. Neville didn't heard his body hit the ground. Neville stared in disbelief at the open window and started to shake. Suddenly Seamus was with him also looking shocked and putting his arm on his shoulder.

"I killed him" Neville spluttered "I…I….I… just killed someone." Suddenly Seamus had both his hands on either side of Neville's face and was forcing Neville to look at him.

"Look at me Neville…….look at me………now listen. You did not kill him do you hear me. I won't have you blaming yourself for him Ok. You were defending yourself I saw just as I reached the doorway. If anything he killed himself. You are not to blame yourself for this. You understand." Neville nodded trying to fight back the tears that were welling up in his eyes. The two boys stood and made their way downstairs.

All the other slytherins had been subdued and about half the DA force had been stunned and taken back to headquarters by Pavarti and her team. The DA magically tied up the slytherins and left them in the entrance hall for the Carrow's to find. Not wanting to wait around and find out when that might be they made their way back to the Room of Requirement. None of them spoke, they had all been told what had happened in the owlery and none of them blamed Neville. They were however now fully aware that they were a part of a war now, a war that was suddenly very real and very scary.

Several more weeks past during which time none of them ventured into the castle outside. After what had happened they had doubts about what the Carrow's would do to them if they were caught. One night Neville, Seamus, Ernie and Lavender were up talking late after everyone else had gone to bed when suddenly Neville felt a familiar hot sensation in his shirt pocket. Neville was extremely surprised by this because all the DA were in the room and Aberforth only usually sent messages just before meal times. he took out his Galleon and the three words that were on it sent goose bumps down his spine and huge smile across his face.

_Potter Has Arrived!!!_


	18. Battle Lines

Chapter 16- Battle Lines

_A small jump in time here. I had at first intended this chapter to follow on directly from the end of the last but have now decided that it would be a waste of time as I would have been copying out quite a large section of the book. So we are going to pick things up in the RoR while Harry is up at Ravenclaw tower. The chapter will jump around a lot and will not make a huge amount of sense on it's own but if you keep in mind that all the important information is in the actual 7__th__ book. Once this horrible bridge chapter is done with I can finally sink my teeth into the chapters I've been itching to write since the start, the battle and it's aftermath._

"What do ya think he need's the Diadem for?" a third year Ravenclaw shouted as the students who had been hiding in the Room of requirement plus Fred, George, Ginny, Lee Jordon, Cho, Luna and Dean who had just arrived milled around in frustration.

"No one knows what those three are up to." Fred answered.

"They've been doing something secret for Dumbledore for the whole year; they haven't told anyone what it is. Ron here won't even tell us, his own brothers." George added in a tragic voice.

"Sorry but we can't tell you, we just can't" Hermione said. "Hopefully when all this is over you will understand."

"So we're going to have to go on living in this room while the Death have their way in the school outside. I thought that if Harry came we'd be free " Michael Corner said, his voice full of disappointment.

"Harry might not think that he's here for a revolution" Neville said "but personally I can't see how it can be avoided now that he's here as well as all the DA."

"Oh and the Order of the Phoenix is on it's way too. Fred and I gave them the heads up before we came. I'm pretty sure none of them will have wanted to make such a long trek for nothing." George said.

"Oh George you didn't" Hermione said in disbelief. "Oh no……..we didn't want to draw any attention to the fact that we were here."

"I dunno" Ron said beside her "having a free Hogwarts could be a good thing. It would give us a base, we could look around it in freedom and we'd be helping all these people. Look around you Hermione we've reached a crisis point, we need to make a stand and I think this is where it should be."

"But Ron, we're not ready yet" she said beckoning him over to one side so that the inquisitive ears of the assembled DA couldn't hear what she was saying "we haven't found all the Horcruxes yet………….I mean we haven't even destroyed all the ones we have."

"I was thinking about that actually" Ron replied. He whispered his idea in Hermione's ear and a grin spread across her face.

"Ron you're a genius" she said jumping on him.

"Apparently Hermione has lost her mind this year" Fred said with mock sadness.

"Tragic" George added.

"Right everyone Ron and I have to pop out for a bit. We'll be back soon, sorry can't tell you where. I Harry comes back though tell him we've…………gone to the bathroom." Hermione said as she rushed to the exit closely followed by Ron.

"I anyone else starting to get annoyed with not knowing anything that's going on." Lee said.

"A bit" Neville replied "but I think that it must be totally crucial for them not to be able to tell us." The others nodded.

Ginny found her way over to Seamus and gave him a warm smile.

"Hey cus" she said "you look a lot better than the last time I saw you."

"Yeah well between them Madame Pomfrey, Pavarti and Lavender have done me good. So how's your little holiday been?" Seamus replied lightly.

"Oh it's been a right breeze" Ginny replied making no attempt to hide the sarcasm "cooped up in my…….I mean….our Auntie Muriel's house for weeks has been a right treat. Your going to love her."

"What's that your talking about sis?" Fred said poking his head between Seamus and Ginny's.

"Oh nothing you'd be interested in." Ginny replied airily and Fred walked away to talk to Lee.

"Still haven't told them then" Seamus said.

"I thought we decided we were going to wait until things were normal. Wasn't that the plan?" Ginny replied.

"Yeah I just thought that because you were locked away with your family for weeks and weeks your resolve might have snapped." Seamus said with a grin.

"No I'm far stronger than that" Ginny said returning his smile before noticing the figure behind Seamus who was failing quite badly at being invisible. Unfortunately for Dean he was very tall and once he saw that she was looking at him he said in a quiet voice.

"Hey Gin" Ginny didn't answer but walked up to him and hugged him tight.

"Oh Dean I'm so sorry. I was really worried for you, you know that don't you." She said.

"Really because at the end of last year I got the impression that I was just an irritant to you." He replied timidly.

"I regret that I really do. But you have to admit you didn't handle that situation that great either. We were both silly. But Dean you have to understand that…………..well……………I have always loved Harry. For years I denied it because I thought it would never happen. Don't think that I was knowingly leading you on Dean because I wasn't. For a year I convinced myself that I loved you. But it was wrong and it's better this way, even if I have to be alone for a while to wait for Harry because I love him. Do you understand?" She said looking into his hurt eyes.

"Yeah I think I do. And I can empathise with your life for the last month although Shell cottage with Bill, Fleur, Luna, Harry, Hermione and Ron is probably better than your Auntie Muriels. Remember when you introduced us?" He asked.

"Didn't she try and charm the black off you?" Ginny said with a giggle.

"She didn't." Seamus said in shock.

"Oh yes" said Dean with a nod "and it really hurt too" They were all laughing now and for that one moment they were back the year before when everything had been simple and happy.

Suddenly there was a commotion amongst the assembled teenagers. They had all gathered around the entrance from the Hogs Head and many had their wands out.

"It's all right" came Fred's voice over the din "he's a good guy. We invited him here. Lower your wands for goodness sakes. How are you Kingsley."

"Better now that I'm here" came Kingsley Shacklebolt's deep voice from within the huddle. "Your family and Remus are on their way as well."

"I hope mums not mad at us" said George with a grimace.

He needn't have worried however as Mrs Weasley was more than happy to see them.

"Well done for telling us boys. It's about time we did something. Some Order we've been the last few months" She said hugging them. Then, however, she spotted Ginny. "What did you bring her for boys you know it's dangerous and she is under…" she began in an angry tone before being distracted by more arrivals from the Hogs Head. Bill, Fleur and Lupin were quickly followed by the rest of Harry's old Quidditch team and several other ex-students. Even after this her words of greeting to the newcomers were cut short when Harry returned from the castle outside.

Half an hour later and Dean, Seamus and Neville were sitting together in the main hall waiting for everyone to assemble. Neville was thinking of his Grandmother and if he would ever see her again. He also thought of his parents and wondered what the Death Eaters had done with them when they had taken control of St Mungo's. He pushed that thought from his mind, it wasn't the right thing to be thinking about at that point. His thoughts turned instead to the battle ahead, his small army and a few adults were about to take on the combined might of the Death Eaters and the Ministry of Magic. Even just a year before that would have scared him senseless but now, now he was calm and almost numb to everything but what had to be done. The Neville of a few years ago was a simple, innocent and easily scared boy. But Neville wasn't a boy anymore, Voldemort and his war had seen to that.

Dean simply gazing at the stars on the bewitched ceiling above. For years he had come and gone from this hall without really appreciating it but now that he was back from a year on the run he couldn't stop looking. He was glad Seamus was next to him again. Seamus had been his closest companion for seven years, he had seen him far more than his parents while at the school. Seamus was the only person he could say anything to. Again, he had never truly appreciated how much Seamus had meant to him until he had been gone.

Seamus was looking around the room, gauging faces. The Slytherin's looked mutinous no doubt because none of their three favourite teachers were present. The Ravenclaw's looked puzzled as if they in their infinite wisdom had not seen this coming and so were caught totally unprepared. The Hufflepuff' for the most part looked scared and worried but then there were a few, mainly the older years, who were exhibiting the kind of stubborn loyalty which Seamus had come to associate with the Hufflepuffs that year. His fellow Gryffindor's were mostly wearing faces of determination and grit, he would have expected nothing less. He looked up at the head table where the teachers and the order of the phoenix were gathering. They simply looked grim. Then Harry entered.

When it was only those allowed to fight that remained in the hall they were summoned to the front few seats in the hall right in front of where the order were assembled at the high table.

"Right" Kingsley said "let's get you divided into groups."

Oliver Wood and the rest of the ex quidditch players except for Fred and George Weasley were to attack from the air via broomsticks with Madame Hooch and set off immediately for the seventh floor where they would take off from Professor Trelawney's room which overlooked the Death Eaters predicted path of attack up from the direction of the forest in the area between the lake and Whomping Willow. Remus Lupin would take Dean, Seamus, Pavarti, Luna and Ernie to cover the area by Hagrid's Hut. Arthur Weasley would take Bill, Fleur and those students from Ginny's year who had had their 17th birthday to cover an attack from the other side of the lake whilst Kingsley's team consisting of Proffesor Vectra, Professor Sinistra and Proffesor Grubbly-Plank would defend the wooded area in the centre of the anticipated attack route. Most of the DA were going with Professor's McGonagall, Flitwick and Sprout up to the towers. Ravenclaw tower would be defended quite fittingly by Professor Flitwick with the help of Michael Corner, Terry Boot, Anthony Goldstein and Roger Davies (who had turned up a minute earlier after being giving the tip off by Percy whom he worked with at the ministry.) Gryffindor tower would host Professor McGonagal who had enlisted those Gryffindor students who had not gone out into the grounds including Demelza Robins, Andrew Kirke and Jack Sloper who while in their sixth year had all had their 17th birthday. Finally Professor Sprout took Neville Longbottom, Hannah Abbot, Susan Bones and a few 17 year old Hufflepuff sixth years. Fred, George, Lee, Percy and a couple of other ex students who had turned up were in charge of watching the secret passageways into the school. The final group were in charge of guarding the main hall, entrance hall and lower corridors in case the Death Eaters broke in as well as providing medical support for any fighters wounded in the battle. This group was led by Molly Weasley and included Lavender Brown and Padma Patil amongst others.

As the different squads took their places a deathly silence fell over the grounds. A bird looking down over the castle might have thought that it was an ordinary night, quiet and peaceful. But in reality all the important players in the British wizarding world were focused on Hogwarts that night. All were waiting with baited breath for the clock to strike twelve. All eyes were on the clock and as the first bell chimed………………..all hell broke loose.


	19. Child Soldiers

Chapter 17- Child Soldiers

_So here we are at the meat of the story. I had a choice with these chapters to either be kind and mysterious about the inevitable casualties of the battle or to be ruthless. I chose to be ruthless so brace yourselves. I was going to tell the battle in roughly three long chapters but have now decided to tell it a larger amount of shorter ones. It should take me the same amount of time but I just found that when I was reaching the ends of the different battle episodes (of which I have now written several) I found that each ended dramatically and to move to another during the same chapter reduced the drama in the episode. _

_If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood   
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,   
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud   
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,   
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest__   
To children ardent for some desperate glory,   
The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est   
Pro patria mori. ___

From Dulce Et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen

Dean fiddled with the wand in his hands as he huddled along with Seamus, Pavarti, Ernie, Luna and Justin in a clump of trees as Remus Lupin who was leading their team stood a little ahead behind an large oak staring out towards the edge of the forbidden forest in the distance with Hagrid's hut just visible in the dark. Just a short half hour before the wand had belonged to Zacharias Smith but since Zacharias had obviously had some very important business elsewhere and Dean was in need of a wand Dean had seen fit to relieve him of it's burden for the battle.

"This seems like a good enough position as any to make our stand" Lupin said in a quiet voice as he scurried back to his young charges "keep yourselves hidden until they move into the open. We want to know where they are before they know where we are. Hopefully the darkness meant that they didn't see us on our way down from the castle." They nodded and waited breathless all of them shivering, though not from the cold. Then the clock struck twelve…..

Oliver Wood steadied himself on the ledge of Professor Trelawney's room looking down at dark grounds below. He had missed the castle more then he had ever thought he would since he had left. However these were hardly the circumstances he had expected to return under, he had hoped that one day he would become a teacher, that is once his Quidditch career had ended of course. Behind him were Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet all of whom were clutching brooms like himself. None of them had noticed a small figure enter the room behind them hidden in the darkness, also clutching a broom.

"Right then team" Oliver said in his best captains voice "we're going to go out there today and show them what we Gryffindors are made of."

"I can't believe you doing the old speech now" Angelina said in an amused voice "when we are about to go into battle against hundreds of dark wizards."

"Now or never eh" Oliver said with a smile. Then the clock struck twelve…….

Bill and Fleur brought up the rear of their small group with four petrified but determined 17 year olds, Michael Evans a Ravenclaw from Luna's year, Benjamin Tobins a Hufflepuff and Ross and Laura Gaimen who were twins from Gryffindor striding along cautiously in front. Heading the group was Arthur Weasley whose wand was illuminating the ground ahead of them.

"Ross are you sure this was sensible" Laura whispered to her brother "we could have gone with the other students"

"Sensible. Well of course it wasn't sensible but sometimes you have to go with your heart not your head. We are Gryffindor's after all" he replied.

"We're all Gryffindor's tonight mate" came Michael's voice from behind "we Ravenclaw's pride ourselves on our logic and I can tell you that this is most definitely not logical."

"You've got that right. I however am a perfect representation of my house" Ben said with a smile. "Just and Loyal and not afraid of Toil and proud of it. However there is a part of me that wishes that Hufflepuff house was known for running away and finding a nice safe place to hide."

"I know what you mean" Ross said nodding "but there comes a time when you have to stop listening to the child inside."

"That's enough philosophising for now guys" came Bills voice softly from behind them "it would be best to remain quite now. It's nearly twelve" They walked on for another minute or two before Arthur Weasley held up his hand and indicated for them to take up positions amongst a group of bushes and trees right on the lake shore. The moon was shining about three quarters full in the sky above casting the lake and the opposite shore into sharp relief. There they waited. Then the clock struck twelve.

Off in the distance they heard bangs and crashes and the sky flashed green and red in the distance. The battle had started and they all felt the impulse to run off in the direction of the fighting but they stayed put, they had a job to do and that was to protect the castle's flank. After about ten minutes with no sign of life on the opposite bank the group had started to seriously consider leaving their post to join the main fight. Suddenly Ross shouted out,

"There on the opposite bank going into that wooded patch." They all looked to where he was pointing and sure enough they could make out a group of twenty or so figures moving into a small patch of trees.

"They're aiming to circle round the lake" Arthur Weasley said his voice suddenly business like "Wait for them to move into the open and then blast them on my signal."

They all raised their wands and held their breath in anticipation. Then the first Death Eaters in the group moved into the open,

"Wait for the whole group" came Arthur's warning "wait for it……………now".

"Stupefy" they all yelled as one and seven stun bolts roared over the surface of the lake. Three hit and blasted their targets backwards with the other four missing by inches. The Death Eaters were quick to react and took up a formation on the bank of the lake.

"You four" Arthur yelled at the four students "keep firing the stunners. Bill, Fleur and I will deal with whatever they send our way."

The lake was now lit not only by the moon but by a constant stream of green and red light passing backwards and forwards over it's roiling waters. The Death Eaters killing curses were being well stopped by the three Weasley's as the bright green bolts had a long way to go to get there so they had plenty of warning. However the Death Eaters were finding it just as easy to protect themselves from the stun bolts flying towards them. Both sides knew that if they moved they would be picked off easily but if the stood still as it was they would be there all night. Someone needed to try something different and it was the Death eaters who took the initiative. One of the group stepped forwards right to the edge of the lake, protected by the shield charms of his comrades. He raised his wand slowly in front of himself and was soon obscured by a huge wall of water some fifteen feet high which he then sent crashing towards the small group on the opposite bank. Just as it seemed the wall of water would come crashing down on them all Bill stepped forward and with a flick of his wand the wall of water stopped still just inches from Ben's terrified face. With another flick the wall solidified into a great block of ice which then hurtled towards the Death Eaters who themselves raised their wands in anticipation managing to stop the block only after it had flattened the two unfortunate wizards at the front including the Death eaters had raised the wall of water.

Four of them ran forwards and with a flurry the block of ice shattered into hundreds of dagger like shards of crystal which hurtled back across the lake. This time it was Fleur who reacted quickest transforming the shards into thousands of poisonous flying insects before they even reached them and sent them back at them back the way they had come. These caused a posed a problem for the death Eaters as they could not be transfigured all in one go and many fell to the stings of the angry insects. When there were only three left standing they finally managed to get control of the swarm and transformed it into a great cloud of black dust which whirled across the lake concealing anything from view.

"They'll be using it as cover to go for backup" said Arthur "get ready for them to return in a few minutes."

However he was tragically wrong and just as they lowered their wands three green bolts sailed out of the black. One missed and hit a tree reducing it to a burnt stump, the other two however found their marks and Ben and Ross fell where they stood. Michael felt his insides rip apart, Arthur Bill and Fleur had all started returning fire over the lake which was now clearing. Michael took no notice but crawled over to Ben's limp form. Pulling his old friend's head into his lap he stared down at the sightless eyes staring back. He ran his hands through his Ginger hair feeling the heat leave his friend's body. He started to shake and looked up through tear filled eyes at Laura who was rocking violently back and forth her hands around her brothers stomach, his head hanging limply against her chest. It was only then that he became aware that she was screaming but not like any kind of scream he had ever heard before, this was not a noise born of rage or fear but a primal release of unabashed and unrestrained grief.

In the battle the death eaters were starting to overwhelm the three Weasley's as help had indeed arrived for them. They were now three fighting six and were struggling to keep back their opponents bolts. Suddenly the lake surged and Arthur feared that the Death eaters had once again stirred up the lake themselves but soon realised this was not the case. Three huge tentacles had flown up out of the water and grabbed a screaming death eater each dragging them down into the dark depths. The three of them raised their wands to try and pick off the last three but there was no need. They had already fallen. Tridents and spears protruded from their chests and necks, the Merpeople had joined the defence.

Bill had put his arm around Michael whilst Fleur tried to console Laura who was now silently staring at her twins limp form. Arthur just stared down in shock. He had known that this might happen, he had not expected it to affect him quite so much. He had after all seen people die before. But he was shocked by what he saw, especially Ben whose Ginger hair immediately made him think of his own children. These kids were Ginny's age, his little Ginny. They were so small and fragile in death and it wasn't until that moment that he truly realised quite how young they were, child soldiers, old before their time and forced to face dangers they never should have faced. A minute or two later and Michael and Laura were traipsing up back to the castle their friends levitated in front of them and Arthur, Bill and Fleur turned back to watch the lake again a new heaviness on their heart.


	20. Death's Victim

Chapter 18- Death's Victim

_Within this space upon this spot  
Hatred blinded worse than dust  
Repression and anger crushed  
More surely than any falling concrete  
And once again  
Innocence became death's victim._

From Within This Space by Bill Mitton

Seamus fell to the floor as a whole tree sailed over his head and crashed into the trees behind. He turned to check whether Justin was okay and saw that the Hufflepuff boy had already started returning fire which was now coming thick and fast from the Forbidden Forest. Ahead and to his left he could see Dean, Pavarti and Lupin using a large oak as cover behind which to work their own spells and to his right were Ernie and Luna currently taking cover behind the school broom shed as a particularly fierce volley of spells flew their way. He returned his attention back to the forest and saw a group of Death Eaters try to make a break over the open ground towards their small group of trees. Taking aim he sent the central wizard flying and the rest were taking care of by a spurt from Ernie and Luna. Several bright yellow spells flew over his head and with and suddenly the very air above him was exploding and the tops of the trees were crashing to the floor. The Death Eaters had obviously decided that if they couldn't get good enough shots of the defenders while they were in cover then they would just remove their cover from around them.

Ernie and Luna were suffering the worst attention from the hidden enemy and Seamus could see Lupin trying to step out from his current position to help but every time he put a foot out of cover a wave of green light flew his way. It was like some kind of perverse fireworks party, the lights were almost blinding and Seamus could barely hear himself think above the din of explosions, crashes and screams. Suddenly a familiar bright yellow burst of light flew towards the broom shed behind which Ernie and Luna were sheltering.

"Shields" Seamus bellowed at them and Ernie seeing if not hearing grabbed Luna and just managed to get up a shield charm as the cupboard exploded outwards sending them flying. At first Seamus thought that Ernie had not been quick enough but as he scurried over to where they lay, ducking and weaving to avoid the flying spells and hoping against hope that the great cloud of smoke from where the broom shed had just been would cover his path, he saw that they were stirring where they lay. He threw himself down on the ground next to them and set up a shield charm between themselves and the forest.

"Are you guys hurt?" he said panting.

"Not really. A bit winded that's all" Luna replied as they all got to their feet and charged back to Seamus's position. Justin turned to him when they got their and yelled.

"Where the hell have you be……….." He never got to finish his sentence, he hadn't seen the tree trunk hurtling his way. Seamus stared in horror as one second Justin was there the next he wasn't.

"Noooooooo Justin" Ernie cried and started to run into the open in the direction his old friend's body had been sent flying.

"No Ernie" Seamus yelled grabbing the crying Hufflepuff and pulling back into cover "we can't now Ernie. We have to carry on."

"Justin……..Justin" Ernie continued to yell as he struggled against Seamus's grasp.

"Ernie we all want to go find him but right now we have a duty we have to do. Do you understand" Seamus said strongly looking into Ernie tear filled eyes.

"Sure………..okay" Ernie said nodding, a new grim nature to his eyes.

Looking around them Seamus noticed that he could not see Dean, Pavarti or Lupin anywhere and a second later he saw why. Taking advantage of the lack of any fire from Seamus's side the Death Eater's had attacked Lupin's position in strength and had obviously forced them back or……….or……….well Seamus chose not to think about the or. He couldn't dwell on it for long as twenty or so Death Eaters were now moving towards their position.

"Come on guys, we'd better move. There's no way we can take that many ourselves, especially not in the open. Let's find another position. They ran back up the hill behind them until they came to the old stone walled area that looked down on Hagrid's hut. Ernie and Luna ran to either side of the wall while Seamus threw himself down on the floor looking over the edge of the steep hill.

"We defend this spot understood" he said and the other two nodded. For a minute or two they could stop to breath but then they noticed six hooded figures move around the edge of Hagrid's hut and start towards the hill. The shortest one in the group had a clipped, business like walk which Seamus thought he recognized but couldn't quite place.

"Wait until you've got a certain shot before you cast. They don't seem to know we're here yet." Ernie murmured to Seamus's left.

"There's probably too many of them for us three to survive isn't there." Luna said in her usual matter of fact way.

"Probably" Seamus replied "but unfortunately there's nowhere left for us to retreat to so here we will stay. Plus we have the high ground and the element of surprise. That has to count for something."

The hooded figures were now half way up the hill and Seamus decided they couldn't wait any longer.

"Ready, aim…………….fire" he said and all three let off their stun bolts.

All three found their mark but unfortunately Seamus and Ernie had both aimed for the same person. Two Death Eaters went flying back down the hill but the other four all looked up in surprise and increased their pace up to the brow of the hill. The three of them continued to fire stunners at them but this time they were ready and only one more fell by the time they reached the top. Seamus scrambled to his feet and backed away, ready for the first of them to make their way through the narrow entrance. Luna and Ernie both also backed away from the edge. Once the three Death Eaters had gained the brow of the hill it soon became clear to the three defenders that they were horribly outmatched. The three cloaked figures sprayed spells around at a speed the three young fighters couldn't hope to match. They seemed to enjoy it as well and the short Death Eater whose walk Seamus had thought he recognised suddenly let off an oh so familiar girlish giggle.

Seamus's wand flew out of his hand and a kick to the stomach sent him sprawling. Ernie was also now on the floor a foot to his head and Luna was soon wandless and pinned against the wall by an invisible force. Seamus wandered why they weren't killing them when before in the fight the Death Eaters had shown nothing but deadly ruthlessness. The answer soon became clear.

"My dear children" Dolores Umbridge said in that familiar sickly voice "my friends here would very much like to have killed you but I ordered them not to. Do you know why? No? Well it's because I believe that all you need is a bit of good education and then you may start to see things our way. Hmmm? Crucio." Luna writhed and screamed against the stone wall and the Death Eaters laughed, Umbridges rising above them all. However they were so busy laughing that they did not notice the small figures flying high above in the night sky. A rain of red bolts sent the two wizards holding down Seamus and Luna flying into the walls. Seamus and Ernie scrambled for their wands which lay nearby and Seamus blocked Umbridges curse whilst Ernie disarmed her with a flick of his wrist. After Luna had regained her own wand they surrounded Umbridge who was now on her knees on the floor, her smirk long gone. She looked desperately from one to the other.

"Thank goodness you kind children have saved me. They had me under the imperius curse. Thank you for setting me free." She blurted out.

"Shut up" Seamus said quietly.

"What?" Umbridge replied looking confused.

"SHUT UP" Seamus yelled raising his wand "I know that you weren't controlled or forced to do anything Umbridge. Don't think I've forgotten your little note. Amycus. The boys mother was terminated at 6:00 AM this morning. Hope you are well.

Dolores………………Crucio" he watched with glee as Umbridge wailed in agony below him.

"Seamus stop it." Luna cried grabbing his wand arm. Ernie had also grabbed the other and Umbridge was now groaning on the floor.

"She killed my mother" Seamus yelled as he tried to free himself from their hold.

"Don't be silly boy. I don't executions personally. Good grief no." Umbridge croaked.

"As good as. And now you can go join her" Seamus replied raising his wand.

"No Seamus" Luna said actually grabbing his wand this time "you can't."

"She killed my mother" he yelled trying to free his arm again.

"Yes Seamus she did" Luna said looking him in the eye "but you are not her." He looked at her for what seemed like forever before lowering his arm.

"That's it. I knew you wouldn't do it because your good little children at heart." Umbridge simpered at their feet.

"We're not children" Seamus replied looking at her in disgust "our innocence died long ago."

Ernie sent long ropes from the end of his wand and they wound themselves tight around her. Seamus then stunned her for good measure and the three of them looked at each other briefly in silence before running off to fight another battle.


	21. Into the Black

Chapter 19- Into the Black

_I found this chapter terribly hard to write for some reason and changed certain parts over and over again. Structurally it was a lot more complicated than some of the previous chapters as it darts around somewhat. Be warned this chapter is not about adventure or romance or emotion primarily, primarily this chapter is focused on death and lot's of it, so be warned. In this chapter the story in my opinion finally earns it's T rating. Still I hope you'll enjoy it all the more in the knowledge that a lot of blood sweat and tears went into its creation._

_"Why this is hell, nor am I out of it.  
Think'st thou that I, who saw the face of God,  
And tasted the eternal joys of heaven,  
Am not tormented with ten thousand hells  
In being deprived of everlasting bliss?"_

From The Tragical History of Dr Faustus by Christopher Marlowe

It was with three other fighters that Oliver Wood had set out for Professor Trelawney's classroom to start their mission and yet as they circled the astronomy tower at speed searching for the area where they would be of most use he couldn't help but notice out of the corner of his eye that another shadowy figure had joined them. Before he could investigate further however a blast shook the tower and a large chunk of it fell away crashing into the battlements below. The four of them dived through the smoke cloud closely followed by their mysterious helper. As the dark acrid smoke departed from in front of his watering eyes Oliver was momentarily stunned by what he saw below. The grounds of the castle which only seconds before had been dark and silent were now a blazing inferno of light. The explosions and screams awoke Oliver out of his shocked state and he started barking orders to his team.

"Angelina and Katie above and below. Alicia at the rear. New guy I don't know who you are but fall in between Alicia and myself. Right our plan is to circle the castle taking out anyone who gets too close. We can't risk the openness of the grounds because we'll be stranded if we go down. I want stunners for the most part but if you see a large group use Expulso. Understood. Good let's go. On me." He barked.

The group dived in a trajectory which would see the pass right across the great doors of the castle. On their fast pass they encountered no resistance but as they turned to make a return flight they were all forced into evasive rolls as a burst of green bolts flashed through he group. Quickly realising that no one was hurt Oliver turned to try and locate the source of the attack and soon saw that it had come not from the ground but from the air. A group of six Death Eaters were hurtling towards them on brooms.

"Their coming in fast" he yelled to his squad who had now reformed around him "that means their accuracy will most likely be lousy. Wait until their close and then let them shoot through. Use shield charms." The small squad held a close formation, wands at the ready to deflect enemy fire, it wasn't necessary however as the Death Eaters had come in far too fast and had to use both hands just to stay on their brooms. The five defenders held their tight position until the very last second until the Death eaters were right upon them before rolling away to let the enemy shoot through. The five young fighters were quickly on the tale of their attackers and the small figure who Oliver had still not identified took out two of the now turning Death Eaters by Exploding one of their brooms. In the light of the explosion Oliver could now quite clearly see Colin Creevey's gleeful face as what was left of the two Death Eaters and their brooms disappeared into the deep black abyss beneath.

"Colin what are you doing here" he heard Angelina yell "you're under age."

"So what" Colin returned over the din "I deserve to be here just as much as anyone else. Plus its my seventeenth in two weeks."

"I don't care how close it is" Angelina said again as parried a curse from on of the remaining four Death Eaters "this is dangerous!!"

"I'm not a kid!!" Colin roared and urged his broom on into a confrontation with another one of the Death Eaters.

'No but you should be' Oliver thought sadly to himself before rejoining the battle himself.

The Death Eaters had now regained their footing in the battle despite now being outnumbered. Whilst the younger fighters were undoubtedly better flyers (with the exception of Colin) the Death eaters were far more experienced in combat and it took all of the defenders skill to avoid the flurry of curses flying their way. Oliver was flying at full speed after one large Death Eater but every time he had a good shot he moved away. They jinked and twirled their way around Ravenclaw tower both firing bolts at each other, the death eater somehow managing perfect aim from over his shoulder. Suddenly masonry was exploding in front of Oliver's eyes and when he emerged from the debris his target was gone and he instead found that another Death Eater had emerged on his tail. He tried to shake him off with a simple roll to his left but was nearly hit but the Death Eater's killing curse as a result. So now he dived straight down towards the ground with not just one but two attackers tailing him.

He sped along just above the ground dodging this way and that to avoid the bolts peppering his location from just behind. As he rolled to avoid one curse he saw two other figures, too small to be Death Eaters above and ahead just moving above the forest ahead. Using an extra burst of speed his sped into the forest, the two Death Eaters tailing him closely entering behind him. He wove in and out of the trees at terrific speed, relying on his wand to light his path ahead and spare him from sudden and painful end. Suddenly the trees around him were exploding as his pursuers tried a different tactic to take him off his broom. He hugged tight o his broom and burst across a clearing. He noticed the two shadows passing across above it, the Death eaters however were focused tightly on the back of his broom. As soon as they re-entered the trees Oliver turned the front of his broom upwards and sped up through the canopy. He pulled himself as tight as he could to his broom and prayed that there were no thick branches lying in his route. He gritted his teeth against the pain as the sharp wooden staves ripped at his skin as he rocketed through into the open air. He passed through the gap between the waiting Angelina and Colin who promptly sent the surprised Death Eaters, who had also just emerged from the trees, back where they had come from.

"You all right" Angelina panted to his left.

"I've been better" he replied wiping blood from his eyes.

Suddenly Katie Bell's scream ripped through the night and all three of them sped back towards the castle. When they got near enough to see they could see Alicia still dog-fighting with one of their two remaining opponents. Katie however drew their attention. She was wandless and still in mid air her arms stretched out to either side and a terrified look on her face. Directly in front of her and also hovering on his broom was a smiling Death Eater who was now using his wand to make Katie flip over again and again.

"Noooooo!!!!!!" cried Angelina before starting her broom forward. However Angelina's cry had doomed Katie. The Death Eater turned his head and saw Angelina speeding towards him and promptly had Katie turn around and fly at full speed towards the castle walls. She didn't even have time to scream. Her broom struck the stone walls and her head snapped back violently, her body falling silently into the dark. Suddenly Alicia was bursting towards the now laughing Death Eater forgetting completely the man she had been duelling. Unfortunately he had not forgotten her and after a burst of green light she too plummeted earthwards. For a second or two oliver felt numb and helpless, he had just witnessed the deaths of two of his closest friends. However this was soon replaced by and violent red thirst for blood which apparently was echoed by the other two as all three of them charged their brooms towards the Death Eaters. With a snarl of rage he unleashed a killing curse of his own on the unsuspecting death eater who had just killed Alicia and when he turned he saw a bright green blast from Angelina take out the other. The three of them circled around and back to each other. No one seemed to know what to say.

"We'll find their…………bodies" Oliver finally said shakily "and then we come back out here and we make them pay." The others nodded and they too slipped down into the black.

Michael corner quickly sent up a shield charm to block the explosive charm that had been sent their way from the grounds below before Anthony himself replied with an explosive charm of his own. The two of them watched with satisfaction as something below them erupted into flames before they had to repel another group of yellow spells sent their way. When the battle had first started the Ravenclaws had enjoyed relatively little attention. However as the Death Eaters had gotten nearer the castle walls they had started sending killing curses towards the tower which had proved relatively easy for the defenders to deal with as the they were coming from a very long way away. Once they had realised that this was not working the Death Eaters had turned to simply trying to blast Ravenclaw tower to pieces. None of them had died yet but when one blast had gotten through it had ripped out a portion of the left hand wall, and Roger Davies Left arm as well. Cho was now seeing to his wound at the far side of the room where the least danger was leaving just Michael, Anthony, Terry and Professor Flitwick to man the windows.

Michael had never seen anything nearly as impressive as the magic the tiny head of Ravenclaw house was producing. His wand was a blur and he seemed to have thrown absolutely everything there was to throw down at the Death Eaters. In the previous half hour Michael had seen Dragon fire, Hurricane winds and lighting all erupt out of his wand. The normally calm and jolly Flitwick now had a fierce look to his face. His white hair was blackened with soot and swept backwards by the wind, his face was grimy and his eyes were held a terrifying fury. Michael decided that Flitwick had not taken kindly to the Death eaters trying to kill his beloved Ravenclaws.

Suddenly Cho screamed and pointed as a huge shadow loomed out of the darkness and Michael immediately turned his attention to the massive figure which was charging towards the tower. The Giant hit the tower with his shoulder and Michael felt the whole structure shake as most of the windows around them shattered. He managed to turn his face away but Anthony caught a load straight in the face and Michael barely look at his bloody and ripped visage as both of them turned their attention to the giant was standing below them thundering his fists into the ancient stonework. The Ravenclaws sent spells down on his head but the giant blood in him meant that that they had almost no effect. He noticed them up above him and leapt with his arm outstretched. His huge hand managed to clamp onto the edge of the hole in the wall before a burst of dragon fire from Flitwick sent him howling back down to earth.

The next time however he jumped with both arms up and instead of grabbing the edge of the room he swept his arms through the empty space. They all ducked under his first hand but Terry was caught by the second and was pulled screaming from the room. They all ran to the edge and started firing desperately at the huge creature but it was too late for Terry. Michael could swear that Terry's mouth kept screaming even after the giant ripped him clean in half at the waste. The immediate seconds after Terry's death seemed to pass in slow motion for Michael. He was so focused on causing as much hurt and anguish for the giant that he barely noticed that all the Ravenclaws were now at the window similarly pouring their rage and grief down on the giant, even Roger Davies was there using his remaining arm. They were using explosion charms now and were starting to rip huge chunks out of the giant's face. A blast from Cho took out one it's eyes and large chunk of nose and with a roar of rage it collapsed to the floor the bloody remains of Terry Boot still clutched in it's fists.

Michael was filled with so much savage glee at the fall of the Giant that he didn't notice the others duck down below the edge of the windows. He did however notice when a huge explosion shattered the final remaining window and he was thrown back against the other wall. When he regained his feet he at first merely felt totally numb and couldn't work out why the others were staring at him in shock or why Flitwick was running to him, his face a mask of sorrow. Then he felt it, an agonizing inferno of pain, it was as if a fire were liking at his very nerves. He looked down and saw that his whole torso was covered in glass shards all oozing blood. This wasn't what held his attention however. He was staring at the two foot long piece of wood protruding from his chest.

"Oh" he said before coughing up blood and collapsing to the floor. The last thing he saw as his vision dimmed was Cho and Anthony's screaming faces before he slipped into the black.

Susan Bones gave a shout of glee as she witnessed one the Chrysalis pods she had been levitating at the enemy's flying outside the astronomy tower found it's mark. The Chrysalis pod reacts very badly with skin. The reaction range from a small amount of irritation in the touched area to a large explosion depending on how old the pod was. Susan was wearing protective gloves and unfortunately for the Death Eater he was no longer wearing his mask. The chrysalis had reacted somewhere in the middle range but this had still caused major burns to the Death Eaters face. He spiralled away clutching his face as Susan prepared another pod to launch…..

….over the edge of the tower hurtled Colin Creevey trying to evade his pursuer. He saw another Death Eater falling away from the tower clutching his face and thought with glee that the Hufflepuffs defending it must be doing a great job defending it as none of it had been blown away so far. He waited for his pursuer to fire before pulling up into a high loop so the blast flew under him. This manoeuvre nearly made him crash into Oliver Wood who was coming the other way but they both span out of each others way and as Colin span around he saw Oliver blast the Death Eaters Colin had just left behind off his broom. He sped off after another who was on Angelina's tail and took him out with a stunner from behind. They had run into his group of about ten airborne Death Eaters only a minute or two after returning to the battle and were lucky that the Death Eaters also had the Hufflepuffs to worry about or they would probably all be…….

…….dead realized Susan sadly as she searched for a pulse on the neck of a sixth year girl who had just be hit by a ricochet.

"I'm sorry Susan but we need you back fighting" came Neville's voice from her left.

"I know……..I know" she replied with one last look at the girl's peaceful face.

"Could you give me a hand with this" Neville said dragging a large tentacula pot across the astronomy tower roof.

"Sure" Susan replied and together they tipped the plant down on a Death Eater who had been hovering just below the parapet hoping to surprise them. His scream was cut off as the vines around his neck cut off his……

……..air rushed from Colin lungs as he came to an abrupt halt. He had nearly flown right into he castle wall after a drastic dive to avoid a stray curse. This was getting way too fierce for him. Despite his assertion earlier he still felt like a kid inside even though the world he should have had as a kid had been taken away from him. It would have been easy for him to slip away with the other underage pupils. However he had been determined that Dennis, who had suffered tremendously out on the run would have the world Colin had been denied. That was why he was here that was why he was………..

………fighting had become fierce on the rooftop as several Death Eaters had landed and engaged the Hufflepuffs in battle. They had not lasted long as there were still six of them left on top of the tower. But it was taking its toll and they were spending less and less time attacking and more time defending themselves. Professor Sprout was now spending her whole time blocking spells aimed at the students. Suddenly a huge blast rocked the tower and Susan's wand flew from her grasp. When she regained her concentration she saw that everyone else had been knocked over by the blast and only she remained standing. Then a hooded and masked figure rose up of his broom level with the edge of the tower and raised his wand. Susan didn't think she just acted she ran to the edge of the tower and…………

………..leapt out at him from nowhere. Colin was bashed by the Death Eaters side as they collided. The Death eater flew on the way it had come but Colin realised that he was no longer on his broom and was to his horror now………..

…….falling fast, the Death Eater in her grasp trying desperately to shake her off but Susan wouldn't let go. It was only after she had grabbed the Death Eater and pulled him off his broom in mid leap that she fully realized that she had just killed herself. She found herself strangely…….

……calm as he lay there on the ground his heart slowing and all energy fast leaving his broken body. Colin had thought that he would have been more hysterical in death. As he closed his eyes for the last time Dennis's smiling face swam across his minds eye and before he died he……..

……….smiled as the black closed in around her as she lay. She smiled because she would soon be seeing her mother and she had finally made someone pay for her death. That payment was the still form of the Death Eater lying next to her, quite still. She was still smiling when she finally slipped into the black.


	22. The Passing On

Chapter 20- The Passing On

_Some of you may find the decisions I took in this chapter questionable as to whether they are realistic to the story. Keep in mind that my decisions, while always keeping in mind the most likely series of events in accordance with the book, are also guided by the need for this to be a story in and of itself. Towards that end I decided that the key storylines in the story needed to have a significant end. In other words I did not just want the characters to survive and that's it. The end of the story needed to have meaning. It will probably help if you read the whole story through before you get here. If you do you will probably spot a few clues in old chapters as to what is about to happen. Still whether you like the decision I have made or not I hope you like the chapter. Enjoy._

_This is the dead land  
This is cactus land  
Here the stone images  
Are raised, here they receive  
The supplication of a dead man's hand  
Under the twinkle of a fading star._

Is it like this  
In death's other kingdom  
Waking alone  
At the hour when we are  
Trembling with tenderness  
Lips that would kiss  
Form prayers to broken stone.

From The Hollow Men by T.S Elliot

Dean could no longer see Seamus, Justin, Ernie or Luna as he looked back at where they had all just been. A burning tree blocked the path back to that position and he had to cover his mouth against the acrid black smoke that was rising from it obscuring everything back the way they had come.

"Dean we have to move" came Lupin's voice from up ahead "we can't afford to stay here there are to many. We'll head back to the castle to regroup." When Dean still didn't move Pavarti grabbed his hand and pulled him after Lupin who had already started off back up the hill. Lupin's wand was constantly darting backwards and forwards as they left the relative safety of their group of trees and darted out into the open ground. All around them jets of light were flying back and forth overhead. In the distance Dean could make out a small group of people duelling another small group and Lupin changed direction to go and aid their friends but had to turn back immediately as a huge swarm of Acromantula charged across the open ground between them. The three of them backed away from the swarm and started on a longer route up to the castle.

In the end they had to approach the main entrance from the far left side of the castle which meant passing right across the Death Eaters main path of attack. The three of them hurried across the open ground and for the first hundred feet or so they didn't run into any trouble. But then a section of wall above them was hit by a curse and the patch of ground they were standing on was illuminated for everyone to see. The next moment green bolts of light were flying up the hill towards them and they all hurried in different directions casting shield charms as they ran. As the smoke cleared from in front of his eyes Dean found himself confronted with a fully cloaked and hooded Death Eater right in front of him and only just managed to stop himself from being cursed by throwing himself at his attacker. The stop rolled down the hill grappling to gain control. Just as it looked like the Death Eater, who was a good deal stronger than Dean was gaining the upper hand another blast flew out of nowhere and sent him flying.

"Get up boy there's plenty of fighting to be done." Came Aberforths voice as the barman's strong arms pulled Dean to his feet. "Who else remains of your team?"

"Just Remus Lupin and Pavarti Patil" Dean panted as they retreated back up the hill both their wands trained into the darkness.

"Well let's find em then and get out of here" Aberforth barked before jogging off in the direction of some bursts of light that were coming from a small forested area ahead. When they arrived they found Lupin and Pavarti back to back deflecting the combined spells of three Death Eaters. None of them saw Dean and Aberforth coming and soon the three attackers were killed or stunned.

"Right Lupin?" Aberforth grunted towards his fellow Order member.

"Fine thanks to you two" Lupin replied "now lets get back to the castle shall we."

The group moved off in the direction that they had been going in before and soon met up with another friendly group. Kingsley's team was also in retreat and Dean was quite pleased to see that it had not lost any fighters, although they were a little worse for wear. Kingsley was supporting Professor Vectra who looked like he had broken his leg and Professor Sinistra had a bright red bandage over one eye, Dean decided he didn't want to see what was left underneath. Their now larger group made it's way up towards the castle as fast as possible. Just as they reached the main entrance however a larger group of death eaters attacked them and drove a wedge through the middle of their now larger team. Dean found himself duelling with a large blonde Death Eater who seemed to have a lot of power in his blasts but not a lot of accuracy and several large chucks of masonry started falling all around them. Out of the corner of his eye Dean could see Pavarti struggling against a maskless Death Eater Dean recognized from the wanted posters of two years earlier, Antonin Dolohov certainly looked better fed than in that photograph but his cruel pockmarked face was still easily recognizable. After only just dodging a killing curse from his own opponent Dean decided that he could do nothing to help Pavarti until he had dealt with his own opponent.

Suddenly Remus Lupin leapt from a large pile of debris nearby and tackled Dolohov the two of them rolled down the hill before immediately springing to their feat and duelling at a tremendous speed. Pavarti was about go help but was soon prevented from doing so by the arrival of two more Death Eaters. Dean and Pavarti were now duelling against two far more experienced fighters and were finding it hard to match them in magical skill. Dean however had learnt from his last encounter with a Death Eater a few minutes ago that the Death Eaters were not comfortable in close hand to hand situations. Using a duck he had performed to avoid a blast from one of the two new Death Eaters to his advantage he dropped into a low roll towards his original assailant. The large blonde Death Eater seemed to think that Dean had been hit and so turned his wand towards the already struggling Pavarti. This turned out to be a very bad decision as the next second Dean's foot connected with his hand sending his wand flying and Dean's own wand struck to send him flying backwards into the wall of the castle. Dean gave a quick glance up at the entrance steps of the castle and saw that no help would be coming from the rest of their group as Kingsley, the three Professors and Aberforth were all busy warding off a larger group of Death Eaters which were between them.

He turned his attention back to the two Death eaters who had been attacking Pavarti and only just managed to put up a shield as one of them turned his attention towards him. The four of them began to duel at an intense speed which went a long way past what Dean and Pavarti had ever dealt with before. After about five minutes they were all starting to tire and the rate of fire between them had decreased dramatically. Suddenly Dean saw a figure run past him and recognized it from the baby photo's Lupin had shown him as Nymphadora, Lupin's wife. Dean soon realised that she must have been told by Aberforth or Kingsley where Lupin had disappeared to. He was now more determined than ever to deal with these two Death Eaters so that he could reach the couple. There was no way that anyone could survive out in that battlefield for long on their own and he wasn't about to let them both die, not so soon after having a baby. Up until that point the two Death Eaters had been firing off spells in tandem and so not allowing the two young fighters a chance to both fire at one. Now however they seemed to have forgotten this tactic and both raised their wand at once. Dean pulled Pavarti close to him so that the two curses flew past their backs and then they both turned and hit their attackers with stun blasts of their own. The two Death Eaters fell with two loud thuds and Dean and Pavarti ran off towards the small forested area into which Lupin and Nymphadora had disappeared.

As the two of them ran passed tree after tree they could evidence of Lupin's duel with Dolohov everywhere, tree limbs blasted off, scorched areas of group bits of cloak hanging off trees, they merely followed the destruction. They followed it right up to clearing in the trees in which they could see people moving, Dean was about to step into it when Pavarti pulled him back by his collar. Before he could ask her why she had pulled him back she shoved a hand over his mouth and gestured with the other to look into the clearing. When Dean did his heart sank. Nymphadora's limp and unmoving form was lying at the feet of Bellatrix Lestrange who seemed to be laughing silently to herself. To her left Lupin was lying at the feet of Antonin Dolohov. Lupin was still alive but was being held down by some curse or other which may have been cast by Dolohov or may have been cast by one of the five Death Eaters standing behind the more senior pair.

"Let's kill him and get it done with Dolohov." Bellatrix said imperiously striding over to Lupin's struggling form. "Filthy mongrel, you will pay for further dishonouring the house of black" she snarled raising her wand to strike.

"Patience Bellatrix" Dolohov sneered pulling her wand arm down "I think we can think of a much more fun way of disposing of him."

"Like what!!" Bellatrix demanded clearly eager to be done with Lupin and the stain he, along with Tonks, had brought upon her family.

"Well let's think Bellatrix, what is this man hmmmmmm? A werewolf. And what is that charming new dagger of yours made of? Why silver of course."

"But Dolohov silver only kills werewolves when they are transformed" Bellatrix replied in a bored voice.

"Wrong Bellatrix, wrong. It only kills werewolves instantly when they are transformed. I fancy it will still have some effect now don't you?" He replied with a smirk.

"Now I see where your going, here you go then do the dirty deed, just hurry up." Bellatrix said handing over her new dagger. Dolohov bent down so that his face was right next to Lupins.

"Let's see how the dog twitches" he whispered before making a long cut across Lupin's stomach. Lupin immediately began to writhe in agony as the sliver attacked the werewolf cells in his blood stream. Bellatrix was giggling by now.

"Oh Dolohov I see what you mean. This is much more fun that just killing him quickly." She said grinning from ear to ear.

Lupin had now turned a violent shade of red and his convulsions were becoming so violent that the Death Eaters had to retreat to the far edge of the glade. After a minute or so Bellatrix had once again lost interest.

"As fun as this has been with important things to do. We don't want to waste all our time exterminating vermin." With a round of laughs at this the Death Eaters moved off towards the castle.

Once they had gone Dean and Pavarti ran out into the clearing and over to Lupins now still form. The bright red of his skin had now been replaced by a deathly pale and his breathing was shallow. When he saw Dean his eyes widened.

"D…………De……..Dean…………….Pavarti…………yo……..your alive…………….thank goodness." He wheezed out in a pathetic voice.

"We're here and we're going to save you." Dean said trying to pull Lupin up.

"No………….no your not." Lupin said.

"Yes we are…… you can't die………..you can't." Dean said trying once again to pull his old teacher up but Lupins body had become so limp it was like a dead weight. Lupin managed to twitch his hand.

"Nymphadora" he said with difficulty and Dean finally accepting that Lupin wasn't going anywhere alive carried Nymphadoras body over to him and placed her hand in his. Lupin turned his head to his fallen wife and smiled.

"Dean" he rasped again "I need…………….I…………I need you to……..to promise me something."

"Yes whatever it is I'll do it" said Dean taking Lupins other hand.

"Andromeda…….is……dying….Teddy has no…….family left……..you……….you must take him…………for me." Dean was so startled by this that he dropped Lupins hand back to the floor.

"Me? But surely there are others. I mean what about the Weasley's or Bill and Fleur or Harry he's the Godfather? Why me?"

"Because………….the Weasleys have more than enough children to last a lifetime……….their home is gone…….I………..I……couldn't place that burden on them. Bill and Fleur…………….are a new couple…………they……they will have kids of their…….own…….I want them……to be as normal as possible…………..they should have the chance to grow as a couple normally." Lupin rasped out. Dean wanted to yell 'What about me? Why can't I be normal? Why can I take the burden and not them?' But instead he said,

"But what about Harry? He's Godfather"

"I……cannot……..do that………to Harry…………not after all he has been through………he deserves to have……..no weight on his shoulders for once………….no it must be you Dean." He replied weakly shaking his head.

"Ok………….I promise" Dean said his voice shaking.

"You are…….startlingly mature you know……you are a man……….love him for me………..love him for…." Lupin never said that last word which Dean would later say he was sure would have been us. Lupins head had fallen backwards and he breathed no more.

Dean looked up at Pavarti with tears clouding his vision and saw the same shocked and horrified expression that he himself was wearing. Without a word they levitated the couple with their wands. Dean noted that Lupin looked extremely peaceful in death which was strange considering its violent manner. Dean reached over with his spare hand and pulled a fold of Lupin's cloak over the long cut Dolohov had made. The two of them made their way back to the castle without even saying a word to each other. It may have been out of respect for the fallen heroes that fate did not send any Death Eaters their way or it may have been simple luck. They left the two bodies in the main hall on a table their hands still joined. As they turned to leave they saw Dolohov in the entrance hall battling his way up the stairs. Without a word they both ran after him, vengeance in their hearts.

Far away. But at the same time closer than anything else. Remus Lupin awoke in Deaths other kingdom. It was pure white the room in which he awoke alone. He was not alone for long.

"I wondered when you'd arrive." Came a familiar, warm voice behind.

"You always were late Moony" said another voice which Remus had not heard for many years.

"Last in the group" said another voice which back in the real world would have sent ripples of anger through Remus but which here merely put a smile on his face. He turned to see his oldest friends as he remembered them. Sirius, James and Peter. Sirius's hair was just as long and his face just as handsome as ever. James was of course sloppy looking and had a lopsided grin on his face. Peter was in the middle and was a good deal shorter than his two more impressive friends.

"So you made it Peter" Remus said.

"He paid his debt at Malfoy Manor" James said placing his hand on Peter's shoulder "But what are you doing talking to us when you really want to see her". James was pointing over Remus's shoulder. Remus turned but before he could see anyone his lips were captured by a girl who had just thrown herself on him. A girl with bright pink hair………………


	23. Endgame

Chapter 21- Endgame

_Here we are the last of the battle chapters and we are out into uncharted territory, the immediate aftermath of the battle of Hogwarts. But for now you have this chapter to feed on. This chapter covers the ceasefire right up until old Tom's demise and will be told in small thought paragraphs. Hope you like it, its probably the least linear chapter I have done._

_Time for End Game has come  
As hours drift into minutes  
Final duties being done_

Sadness fills the heart  
Nostalgia does it part  
Scourging as a fiery dart

Yet, change brings life  
Hope rings eternal  
Even under intense strife

Tranquillity fills the air  
Peace calms the mind  
To transpose my care

It is time to say Goodbye  
With complexity of emotions  
And tears in his eyes

From End Game by Larry Litle

Seamus plodded wearily through the throng of tired and bloodied fighters in the main hall of Hogwarts. No-one could sit down at the tables because they were covered. Covered in the fallen. And nobody wanted to sit down next to the bodies. It wasn't that they didn't care. It was because they knew that if they looked into those peaceful, unseeing eyes, or touched that cold clammy skin then or the hope they had left would disappear. And hope was all they had left, hope in the boy the who lived. Seamus shuffled his way down the gap in between the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables until he came to the body he had been making for. Fred Weasley still had a smile on his face. It seemed to Seamus almost like a ghost of a time long ago. He looked at the Weasley family gathered around their fallen brother and son. They all had dark patches under their eyes which had not been their before. Seamus wondered if things had been different, had his father not been killed, would he be there right now crying for his cousin. For that matter what would have been different if Voldemort had never existed at all, Fred Weasley wouldn't be dead, at that day would just be another school day. But it wasn't. It wasn't.

George Weasley just sat and looked at his lost twins face. It seemed so perfect now, so ghostly white. But inside George felt far less than perfect. In fact he felt like someone had come along and cut off part of his body and walked away with it. It was as if several of his vital organs were missing, that he was no longer whole. He was dimly aware that all of his family, with the exception of Charlie were around him, all were crying. His younger brother Ron was holding his younger sister Ginny in loose arms while she buried her eyes in his chest. He kept trying to wipe the tears away from his eyes, but it was no use, an arm cannot stop a flood. Hermione Granger had her hand on Ginny's back but her eyes were on Ron's and she had tears to match his own. Over the other side of the table his older brothers Bill and Percy were supporting his dad whose legs seemed to be giving way as he looked down at his first dead son. Arthur Weasley's face just looked empty and old. It wasn't until this moment that George had realised quite how old his father really was. Bill was silent and straight lipped in his grief but still couldn't stop his own weeping. His wife Fleur had her own face buried in his shoulder and was stroking his hair in a vain effort to comfort him. Percy had forgotten all of his haughty stiff lipped nature. His regret over those last few years he had wasted away from his family were stamped across his face. The most tragic picture of all was that of his mother. She was sprawled across her son's limp, cold form sobbing like George had never heard before from a human being. The kind of sound that only a mother who has been separated from its young can make. Perhaps it was because Fred had always been with him that George had not yet shed a tear. Since he had first seen his twins body he had just been in a state of cold, numb shock. Inside he was in pain and turmoil, as if he had been ripped apart, but it had not yet reached his eyes, or mouth, or skin. He could barley even feel lee Jordon's hand on his shoulder. But the sight of his mother's heaving and wailing form draped over his twin brothers corpse broke something in George Weasley. And then the floods came.

Dean wouldn't have been able to believe what had just happened if the bodies of Remus and Nymphadora Lupin hadn't been lying right in front of where he sat. Their hands were still joined and their faces were calm. Dean hoped they were together, wherever they were.

"Why me Remus? Why me?" he kept murmuring as he looked at his old teachers closed eyelids.

"It's not that I won't love him………..because I will. It's just. There are people who could do such a better job." He stayed silent awhile just looking at his own feet.

"I mean, you made Harry godfather, you must have known what you were doing." But Dean already knew the answer. Remus hadn't known that Teddy would be without relatives so soon. He hadn't known that the torch would need to be passed at such a tender age. And no one had the right to put the weight of a child on Harry Potters shoulders now, not after all he had done, all he had been through. Harry deserved to live.

"What about me though. This year hasn't exactly been a walk in the park for me either" he said trying to trick himself into believing he was angry at Remus. But the truth was that he wasn't, he was just sad. Sad that Remus was dead, sad that poor Teddy had lost his family when he should have had a lifetime with them, sad for all the friends that had died, sad for his lost childhood, just sad.

"Your not alone you know" said a voice at Dean's shoulder. He had forgotten that Pavarti was there and had been there since they had returned with the bodies.

"We'll help. We all will. You won't be alone." She said again taking his hand. Dean didn't reply he just merely squeezed it tighter.

Luna felt slightly out of place. She didn't really belong with any of the groups of mourners so she just wondered around. She made her way over to the corner of the room where the bodies of the DA members were being placed. Her breath caught in her mouth as she accidentally caught a glimpse of Terry Boot's remains where the sheet that covered his body had slipped. Terry had been one of the few Ravenclaw boys who had ever been nice to her and to see what was left of him was too much for her to take so she hurried on her eyesight blurring from the tears. Next to him was Michael Corner, he wasn't covered like Terry but perhaps should have been. His once handsome features marred by the deep cuts which covered his face. Cho Chang was sitting next to his body, Roger Davies was in the seat next to her and his arm was around her shoulders. A small pile of glass shards lay next to Michael's face along with a deep red cloth. Luna quickly moved on, she was keen to get away from her mourning and dead housemates. There was no respite to come however. The next site she saw was Ernie McMillan and Hannah Abbot holding each other and weeping over the bodies of Justin Finch Fletchley and Susan Bones. She could tell by there battered and crush bodies that neither had been killed by the killing curse. It was strange how all her life she had been told about how evil and awful Avada Kedavra was and yet it seemed to her that those here who had died because of it were the lucky ones. There was no slow torment or agonizing pain for them, only a sudden end. She walked on again and as she came to the end of the table she stopped dead as Oliver Wood laid down one last body. Colin Creevey seemed so small in death. She turned and looked at the line of dead DA members. So many were gone from their small band, so many. Not so long ago it had all seemed like such an adventure but now……..now it just seemed a waste.

The minutes passed away and no-one moved………………

The voice of Lord Voldemort ripped away the silence and spoke the words they had been dreading.

"Harry Potter is dead……….

They assembled on the steps of the castle their hated vanquishers in a line facing them. None of them had wanted to believe it in the hall but there for all to see was the crumpled form of Harry Potter at Voldemorts feet. Then the despair hit. The boy who lived had been many things to many people. To some he had been like a son, to others like brother, some had loved him like they had never loved another. For others he was the best friend they ever had. He was a mate, a guide, a general. But most of all Harry potter had been hope. Those in the crowd who had known him best cried out first. Soon there was a wave of abuse and defiance being poured at the waiting Death Eaters.

"Silence…………….

Neville Longbottom was on his knees before Voldemort.

"I'll join you when hell freezes over," said Neville. "Dumbledore's Army!" Suddenly the charm that had silenced them was broken and the DA burst forth again in defiance. The next thing they knew Voldemort was shoving a weathered old hat that they all knew and loved on Neville's head.

"Neville here is now going to demonstrate…………………

All was chaos in the great hall. Spells were flying everywhere in what was a very enclosed space. It seemed like the entire wizarding world had arrived to take Voldemort down. All over the room Death Eaters were going down including Bellatrix Lestrange who fell to Molly Weasley. Then just as Voldemort turned his wand on her in rage the defenders of Hogwarts heard the voice they had thought they had lost forever.

"Protego……………………

The whole of the Great Hall was perfectly still except for two figures circling each other at the very centre. The wizarding world held its breath.

"So it all comes down to this, doesn't it" whispered Harry. "Does the wand in your hand know that its last master was disarmed? Because if it does………I am the true master of the Elder Wand."

A red-gold glow burst suddenly across the enchanted sky above them, as an edge of sun appeared on the nearest window. The light hit both of their faces at the same time so that Voldemort's was suddenly a flaming blur. Harry heard the high voice shriek as he, too, yelled his best hope to the heavens, pointing Draco's wand:

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Expelliarmus!"

The band was like a cannon-blast and the golden flames that erupted between them, at the dead centre of the circle they had been treading, marked the point where the spells collided. Harry saw Voldemort's green jet meet his own spell, saw the Elder Wand fly high, dark against the sunrise, spinning across the enchanted ceiling like the head of Nagini, spinning through the air towards the master it would not kill, who had come to take full possession of it at last. And Harry, with the unerring skill of the Seeker, caught the wand in his free hand as Voldemort fell backwards, arms splayed, the slit pupils of the scarlet eyes rolling upwards. Tom Riddle hit the floor with a mundane finality, his body feeble and shrunken, the white hands empty, the snake-like face vacant and unknowing. Voldemort was dead, killed by his own rebounding curse, and Harry stood with two wands in his own hands staring down at his enemy's shell.

One shivering second of silence, the shock of the moment suspended: then the tumult broke around Harry as the screams and cheers of the watchers rent the air……

Tom Riddle writhed in agony. He could not see beyond a foot or so away because of the blinding light of the room he found himself in. Gone was his finery, his fear. He now twitched and writhed on the floor a small naked child, curled on the ground, his skin raw and rough and flayed. He lay shivering alone…….alone…………..until he heard a voice. A voice he hated.

"Hello Tom. It's good to see you………………………………..

_There it is. The end of the war. The last few chapters will cover the immediate aftermath of the battle as well as a chapter similar in theme to the Epilogue in the main book. See you then._


	24. The Man Who Lives

Chapter 22- The Man Who Lives

_It's time to tie everything up. This is the penultimate chapter and is the only one to be told from Harry's point of view. It's also very long so enjoy._

_For those who were killed in battle,_

_For those who gave up their lives to save others_

_For those who fought because they were forced to,_

_For those who died standing up for a just cause_

_For those who said war was wrong,_

_For those who tried to make the peace_

_With all that we have………..we thank you._

From A Poem For Remembrance Day by Marianne Griffin

Harry, Ron and Hermione wound their way back down to the main hall. The afternoon was now nearing it's end and long shadows were being cast across the rubble strewn hall ways. It was strange to see their home for so many years in such a state. Ron kicked a Death Eater's body as they stepped over it.

"Guess we'll have to go back in there now eh" he said.

"I don't mind so much now" Harry said. And he didn't, it was as if his conversation with Dumbledore had closed the whole adventure and now, well now he just wanted to be with friends. As they turned into the main hall they sought out Ginny who was standing with Seamus. She was who Harry wanted to be with most.

"You want to go talk somewhere?" he asked her.

"Um…..in a minute Harry. First Seamus and I need to do something." She looked around at the three of them before adding "actually you had all better come hear this." She grabbed Seamus's hand and walked off towards her family who were on the other side of the room. Harry, Ron and Hermione followed confused. Alarm bells were going off in Harry's head. Had Ginny and Seamus gotten together that year while he was away? Were they going to the Weasley's to announce some kind of shock engagement? The jealous dragon inside which had reared its ugly head when Ginny had been dating Dean and was firing its flames at Seamus's back.

Ginny and Seamus stopped in front of Mr and Mrs Weasley who were standing at the far end of the Gryffindor table at the back of the hall. They were no longer crying but Harry could see large red patches under both of their eyes. When she saw them all arrive in front of them Mrs Weasley fixed her face into a smile.

"Mum, Dad errrrrrrr……everyone else" Ginny started taking in all of her family around her. Seamus looked terrified. "Seamus has something important to say." She pushed Seamus forwards and then squeezed his hand in encouragement at which Harry's heart, lungs and just about every other organ jumped up into his throat. Here it was the killer blow that he was dreading.

"Umm well errr………you see me mam was killed earlier in the year……….by death eaters." Seamus began. Everyone apart from Ginny was shocked by this and Harry's insides dropped right down into the pit of his stomach. He had never been a great fan of Mrs Finnegan because of her belief two years before that Harry was a deluded maniac but he had also heard from Dean how she had helped him at the start of the year.

"You poor thing" Mrs Weasley said immediately back in mother mode.

"Yeah well………..before she died I saw her at Christmas and well she told me…….she told me that." He looked at Ginny for support and she squeezed his hand tighter.

"It's okay you can say" she said. Harry was really confused now as this really did not sound like a declaration of love for Ginny.

"She told me that my Dad……….well the guy that I thought was my Dad……..who died two years ago wasn't my Dad at all……..My real Dad was killed at the end of the first war………..by Death Eaters………….his name was Fabian………….Fabian Prewitt………I'm your nephew." Seamus finished looking anxiously at the listening Weasley's. All jaws in the circle had now hit the floor, except for Ginny and Seamus's, for a long time no one said anything. Then Mrs Weasley walked around the table and grabbed Seamus's shoulders and looked intently at his face as if searching for traces of her long lost brother. After a minute or so a smile crept across her features, not forced this time but wide and genuine.

"Yes, I see it now" she said before pulling him into a massive hug.

"Blimey mate" Ron said to Seamus pulling him into a man hug when Mrs Weasley let him go "I didn't see that coming." The rest of the Weasley's huddled around Seamus hugging and congratulating and consoling all at the same time. Harry felt a bit surplus to requirements as did Hermione.

"I think we should leave them to it." Hermione said to his turning to walk away with a smile.

"Yeah" said Harry feeling much better now that Ginny wasn't engaged and in love with Seamus.

"It's strange" Hermione said as they walked down the row of chatting and laughing people "I don't know whether to laugh or cry."

"I know what you mean" Harry replied "so many good people died. So many kids. At the same time I know that Voldemort's dead and he's not coming back. Which just fills me with joy."

They were just turning the corner at the other end of the room when a familiar voice spoke from behind them.

"Potter" Draco Malfoy said.

Harry and Hermione turned to see Draco sitting with his mother and father neither of whom would look at Harry, a situation he approved of completely.

"I……….I……….." but Draco couldn't get it out and in the end he just ended up nodding. There wasn't any malice in Draco's eyes, but neither was there friendship. Harry realised that this was exactly the way he felt himself. He could sense that they were no longer enemies but he doubted that they would ever really count each other as a friend. They understood each other at last. Harry returned the nod and then he and Hermione turned around and walked off.

They walked out of the main hall where they were joined by a very merry Luna and a not quite so merry Neville.

"Hey Luna" Hermione said.

"There must be some gloobles in the air today" Luna said peering at the specks of dust floating through the air as if expecting to see small purple creatures riding them "no one can stop laughing." Hermione looked as if she was going to contradict her before stopping herself and instead said,

"Probably Luna, probably."

Neville had by this time quickened his pace and was some way ahead of them.

"What's wrong with Neville?" Harry asked Luna.

"We're going to the room where they are keeping the bodies" Luna replied. "So many of the DA died. I think he holds himself responsible somehow, as general."

"That's terrible" Hermione said starting off after Neville but Harry stopped her.

"Let him go" Harry said.

"But we can't let him go on thinking that." Heroine said.

"When he's had time yes I agree" Harry said. "But sometimes when a person is grieving they need to blame themselves for a while. It helps them get through it." He was thinking of the time after his godfather Sirius had died two years earlier.

"It still doesn't feel right" Hermione said crossing her arms.

"I don't think he really thinks its his fault" Luna said "I think he's just convinced himself that it is because he feels guilty about being happy and wants to be sad for the friends we've lost. You guys weren't here this year, we bonded like we never had before, even before I was taken at Christmas. Everyone between the three houses, we were united. I think Neville needs to really be sad today that's all." Slightly stunned by such a large insight coming from Luna Harry turned and started back towards the school entrance with Hermione and Luna.

When they got there they saw tall haughty woman with long black hair walk timidly into the castle with a small slumbering baby in her arms. Harry's stomach dropped when he saw Teddy Lupin's peaceful face. He was about to go to her but someone else beat him there. Dean had almost ran across the hall to her before stopping with an embarrassed and terrified look on his face. Harry could sense that another big surprise was coming as that was the exact same face Seamus had been wearing a few minutes earlier. Pavarti came out of the hall after Dean and after seeing Andromeda and the baby she walked over to the other three. Harry was about to ask her what was going on but dean spoke first.

"Hello Mrs Tonks………..I'm Dean Thomas………….I was travelling with Ted……..I'm sorry I couldn't save him but the thing is…………….he saved me."

"I'm thankful that someone who was with Ted for those last few months is still with us" Andromeda said in a kindly way. "You travelled with Remus as well for a bit didn't you."

"Yes……..um I don't know what you know already but well……..um……well." Dean stammered.

"Don't worry…………I know about their………their deaths" Andromeda said her voice cracking.

"There's something else" Dean started. "Remus told me about your………..condition just after teddy was born. When he died I was there. Pavarti was too and before he died he…………….he………….he told me to take Teddy……….to adopt him. I tried to argue that there were better people but he said he wanted it to be me. I…………I…..don't really know what to say." This was even more of a shock than Seamus's revelation a few minutes earlier. A long time passed during which no-one said anything until,

"Well if that was what Remus wished, then who am I to disagree. All I would ask is that I keep him for my remaining year" Andromeda said with a smile. "Would you like to hold him."

Dean couldn't reply but simply nodded and as the sleeping child was passed into his hands the true realisation of what he had just said yes to. The realisation that he was now looking down at his son. He stood there for a long time simply looking in awe at the tiny warm bundle in his hands. After he passed he child back to Andromeda he hurried over to Harry.

" I know what you must be thinking Harry but Lupin knew full well what he was doing when he made you godfather. I don't think he could bare the thought of placing that responsibility on your shoulders right now that's all. He wanted you to live. Understand?" He said.

"Yeah………I think I do" Harry said clapping dean on the back.

"You can be as involved as possible" Dean said. "In fact me and Shay were meaning to talk to you about that. We were talking earlier and he was saying that providing it wasn't destroyed by the Death Eaters he now has a large house all to himself and I don't really want to go back to my muggle home now that I'm a full wizard. We wondered if you and any one else would like to come too. There's plenty of room."

Harry was quite taken aback by the question as he hadn't yet given any thought to what he would do next. He didn't however fell like returning to Grimmauld place which had most likely been ripped apart by the Death Eaters. There were too many bad memories there. And he certainly wouldn't be going back Privet drive, not to live anyway.

"Yeah. Sounds good" he said warmly.

"Cool" Dean replied giving him a big man hug.

Dean turned back to Andromeda who was still standing by the open doors.

"Is there anything else I can do for you, anything at all?" he said .

"Yes" she replied her smile fading "I would like to see my daughter."

Harry, Hermione and Luna left Dean and Andromeda to go off without them.

"Shall we go get something to eat?" Luna asked at which point Harry realised that he was absolutely starving.

"Yeah, sounds good" he said before the three of them made their way into the main hall once more.

That night Harry, Ron, Dean, Seamus and Neville all slept in their old beds, in their old room, which had escaped unharmed. It felt weird sharing a room again, just the five of them. They laughed and messed around like they always had but it seemed to Harry a little forced, as if they were all still trying to be the kids they had been even just a year ago.

That next day was the funeral. It had been decided almost unanimously that all those who died fighting in defence of Hogwarts would be buried at Hogwarts in the same place as Dumbledore had been. The bodies of the dead Death Eater's and Voldemort had been taken outside the grounds the day before and buried in a mass grave. Harry's breath caught in his throat as he looked at the sight before him as he stepped down the main steps of the castle in his dress robes, which Hermione had retrieved from her bag that morning. Fifty Four shining white graves were spread out in a semi circle from Dumbledore's white marble tomb glinting in the mid morning sun. It appeared that the boys of his dorm were some of the last to arrive and as he walked down quickly with, Ron, Seamus, Neville and Dean he could see Hermione standing next to the huge array of seated people looking impatient.

"Really boys" she said crossly as they arrived taking Ron by the hand and marching him to the seats she had saved.

There were hundreds there, Harry realised as he looked around. Far more than had been at Dumbledore's funeral just a year before. There were many more families that needed to grieve here, he thought sadly. He looked up to Professor McGonagall walk up to a podium placed just in front of the graves. After placing her wand to her throat she spoke in a magically amplified voice.

"Students, teachers, families, friends. We all have reason to grieve today, we all have reason to be sad. So many lost their lives, so many fell. But let us not dwell on our loss, although it is great. Let us instead remember what it was they fought for. Every single dear person buried behind me, from the youngest student right up to our dearly missed guide and friend Albus, who we buried here only one year ago, gave their lives because they believed in something. They believed in a world where all people be they wizard, witch, squib, pure-blood, half-blood, muggle-born, centaur, elf or muggle are equal. They believed in morality and that power was not the ultimate goal but justice and peace. Most of all they believed in love and they knew that they needed to make a stand so that those that they loved, their friends and classmates, their parents and siblings could live a better life. What's more they knew that would need to fight and if necessary pay dearly for these beliefs to be realised. Sadly for those behind me they paid the ultimate sacrifice. And that is why we are here today, to remember what they gave us and to repay them with the only thing we can give them now, our thanks and our love. Do not be afraid to cry for it is right to be sad for those we have lost. But remember not to let it stop you from living because that would make their sacrifice pointless. Instead let us repay their great gift by rebuilding our shattered and broken world into one which they would be proud of. The one they fought for, the one they believed in." With this she turned to face the graves and said simply.

"Thank you, everyone one of you." With that she bowed low towards the white grave yard and as one the rest of the mourners stood and each in their own way said their own thanks to those buried in front of them before bowing solemnly themselves. Harry felt his eyes sting as hot tears fell down his cheeks.

"Thank You" he whispered.

When the funeral was over Harry, Ron and Hermione sought an exit from the throng of people standing and chatting amongst the chairs. Just as they were about to sneak off on their own Harry felt a hand close on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry potter but you can have some free time later" said Professor McGonagall "right now I want to see all those who were of student age who fought in the battle in my office." Puzzled the three of them watched as she walked off in the direction of the castle. They turned and saw Neville in the middle of the crowd gathering a whole group of the DA around himself. They wondered over to him.

"Hey guys" he said when he saw, sounding and looking far better than he had the day before "McGonagall found you too. We're just going up now." They walked up as a whole group. There were only twenty of them left. Many more had started the battle. This fact seemed to be on all their minds as they strode in silence up to the castle and through the castle to Dumbledore's office. Once there they all crammed inside and stood in front of the headmaster's desk which was currently occupied by Professor McGonagall who had her fingers laced in front of her. As soon as they were all there Harry's ears were once again assaulted by the combined clapping of the ex-headmasters lining the walls. This time however it wasn't just for him but rather for them as a group. As Dumbledore's Army.

"Thank you all for coming. I know that many of you wanted to spend time with your families and you can be sure that this will not take long." Professor McGonagall said with a smile. As has already been said everyone who fought in the defence of Hogwarts is being awarded the Order of Merlin First Class and Special Awards for Services to the School. However it was the view of our new Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt and myself that there be a separate award granted to those of Hogwarts age who fought in the battle. Therefore you will all be receiving The Albus Dumbledore award for your outstanding bravery."

"For those of you who are worried about not having gained your wizarding qualifications" she added after Hermione shot her hand into the air "this award I am sure will be all the qualifications you will need. You are a special year. Or years" she added with a nod to Ginny, Luna and the other sixth years "No other class at Hogwarts has ever been as famous or as respected as you will be now. For those of you who have just completed your seventh year or would have had this year not happened the ministry has taken it upon itself to financially support you for the next year so that, if it is your wish, you may simply take the next year off, a luxury you are quite entitled to. Of course should you wish to be too extravagant as people your age often are, you will need a job as well." She said with a smile. "On a personal note I would just like to add how proud I am of each and every one of you. Oh yes and before you escape I believe the Headmaster would like a word."

As Professor McGonagall moved out of the way the beaming portrait of Albus Dumbledore came into view.

"My dear friend's thank you" he said with a small chuckle. "Each and every one of you have surpassed my wildest expectations, thank you. As you know I am not one for long speeches and I am well aware that it is lunch time and so it would be a cardinal sin for me to detain you here for much longer. So I would just like to give you all a few words of advice before you go. Many of you lost your closest friends not just in the events of yesterday but throughout the last few years." His eyes rested on several of them including Anthony and Ernie.

"To you I would say remember always that they died for you and that they would want you to live. Also remember that those some friends were lost, some were gained and after what you have been through this year those friendships will be like rocks for you. Do not let them go out of guilt for those you have lost. Some of us have lost family." Here his eyes rested on Seamus whose eyes were on the floor.

"I know that there is not much I can say that can replace that loss, especially the loss of a mother. But I would say remember that you still have family who will be there for you. I would also say that you can count anyone that loves you as your family. And while nothing can ever take the place of those lost they can at least provide a new joy and a new comfort. All of you have lost your childhood and this grieves me more than anything."

"To you I would say that you should remember that we never truly stop being the child we were, we just cover it up. Do not be too hasty to lose that child because though we must all mature and though we must all take on new responsibility so must we all joke and laugh and play once in awhile. Some of you have had responsibility placed on your shoulders which scares you to death." He said, his shining blue eyes shifting to Dean. "It is terribly sad that such things must happen to people so young. To you I would say remember that this responsibility will only be a burden if you let it be, if you want it to be. See it instead as a gift, the greatest gift possible. You will grow more from this than any other thing you ever do. Also remember that you need not do anything alone. I am sure that anyone in this room will help if the responsibility becomes too much to carry alone."

"Some of you have had responsibility lifted from your shoulders for the first time in your life." He was now addressing Harry directly. "To you Harry I would say enjoy it. You have such a large group of friends, such a large amount of people who love you not because of what you are or because of your name but because they know the real you. Remember that it is finished, you need no longer be the chosen one, you need no longer walk the path alone. It would be wrong for me to say that you will never have to bare great responsibility again but never think that you and only you must bare the burden. Never take up the responsibility because of who you are and because of what you have done before but rather because you know in your own heart that it is the right thing to do. Ultimately Harry what I am saying is that you need no longer be the boy who lived but rather become the man who lives."

"Oh look at me ramble. I said I would only be quick. Before you go I would just like to say a few short words more. And here they are Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

A great many people remained at Hogwarts for a week after the funeral. So much of Hogwarts had been destroyed and everyone pitched in to help rebuild the walls. At the end of the week Harry, Hermione, Ron and Seamus were saying goodbye to the rest of the Weasley family who were going home to see what could be rebuilt from what remained of the burrow. Much to Ginny's frustration she was being forced to go too. Her and Harry managed to steal a quick moment around the side of the walls out of sight of the others before she left.

"I'll see you soon right?" Ginny asked Harry holding both his hands in hers.

"Yeah, Seamus, dean and Neville are coming with me to Privet drive tomorrow. I need to pick up some stuff and……..well I dunno……..I just feel I need to return there at least once more you know. After that we are going to Seamus's house to live. But there's no reason I can't come stay at yours for a few days. That is once it's a house again. How about I come once Hermione and Ron get back from Australia. Hermione reckons it'll take them about a week to go find her parents and get back."

"Sounds good to me loverboy" Ginny said in a fake seductive tone before planting a kiss on his lips which was definitely not fake.

"Bye" she said before running off to find her parents.

Harry watched the Weasley's dissaparate and then went over to sit with Hermione, Ron, Neville, Seamus, Dean, Pavarti and Lavander who were all sitting on the grass outside the main entrance. For a few minutes they all just lay there looking up at the cloudless sky.

"Seven Years" Seamus said breaking the silence "seven years since we first met. Seems like forever."

"It's weird thinking we won't come back here in September" dean said "even though I wasn't there all this year it still seems strange." They all drifted back into silence again. Half an hour later it was Ron and Hermione's turn to leave.

"Sorry to go guys but we have to take a plane" Hermione said "there's no way we can apparate there and there is definitely no way I am flying all the way on a broomstick, or a dragon" she said with a grin.

"So right let me get this straight" Ron said as he hugged Harry goodbye. "This plane thing. We just sit inside it and it flies all by itself without us doing anything?"

"Well it has a driver" Harry said with a laugh.

"Crazy" Ron said shaking his head.

"Well bye then guys" Hermione said pulling Ron away. "We'll see you in like a week." And with that they apparated away.

The next day Harry was standing in front of a very familiar house. With a very familiar lawn and a very familiar front door. Privet Drive was just as he had always remembered it.

"This was where you lived!!" Seamus said in amazement "but all the houses look the same."

"Yeah well that's how the muggles do it" Harry said with a grin beckoning Dean, Seamus and Neville to follow as he walked towards the front door. Luckily Seamus and Neville, being teenagers with muggle raised friends, were a little more aware of what normal muggles wore than adult witches and wizards were. Dean of course had spent half his life as a muggle and so had no problem wearing muggle clothes. Harry rang the doorbell and then waited. At first he thought that no-one was in but then he saw a large shadow approaching the door through the glazed glass and a second later Uncle Vernon opened the door. For a long awkward moment no-one said anything.

"Err hi……Uncle Vernon. It's errrr good to see you………..These are my school friends Dean Thomas, Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnegan." Harry eventually said to break the silence. When Harry said Dean's name Dean held out his hand but Uncle Vernon either didn't notice or ignored it because he continued to stare at Harry as if deep in thought. Eventually he said.

"Ummm…. I suppose you'd like to come in then."

"Urrr yeah I suppose the stuff I left behind is still in my old room?" Harry asked

"Umm yeah, yeah it is." Uncle Vernon grunted standing back to let the four boys in. Harry was about to go up the stairs when Dudley walked out of the kitchen and noticed him. Dudley didn't look anything like what he had a year ago. His year on the run seemed to have caused a massive weight loss procedure on him. He was still fat, but now not abnormally so. The biggest change however was that he was smiling at Harry, it wasn't even the evil and delighted smile he had flashed Harry in the past whenever something particularly nasty had come Harry's way from his Uncle and Aunt. No this was a different smile, a friendly smile.

"Hi" Dudley said shyly "I errr just wanted to say……….thank you for sending us with your friends. We were chased by these guys in black………..and well……without those friends of yours we would have……well…….we might have………….thank you" he finished lamely looking at the floor.

"Cheers Big D" Harry said with a huge grin.

"Oh and I found somefing that I thought might be yours a few streets away so I put it in your room." Dudley said before smiling quickly at him awkwardly and then scurrying into the sitting room to join his dad.

"And I thought my relatives were weird" Neville said with a laugh as the climbed the stairs.

"They're only weird by wizard standards. To muggle's they're like uber normal" Harry said "thinking about what the Dursley's reaction would have been if they heard a wizard calling _them_ weird.

"I wonder what Dudley was talking about?" Harry said puzzled silently dreading that he'd find Hedwig's rotting remains in the room before remembering that Aunt petunia would probably die before allowing the corpse of a dead owl remain in her house. Opening the door he saw the room just as he had left it a year before except for his bed upon which his faithful old firebolt was resting. Harry rushed over to it delighted as soon saw to his delight that although it was a very scratched and a little worse for wear it wasn't broken and as soon as he touched it sprang to life in his hand as if it remembered him. They gathered everything Harry wanted to keep in the backpacks they had brought with them and then went back down stairs. They had decided to apparate out of the back garden this time as it made it less likely any muggles would see them disappear. As they walked into the back garden Harry was strangely sad that he hadn't seen his aunt before he left. The other three all apparated away and he was about to do the same when he heard a voice behind him.

"Harry" said Aunt Petunia from the doorway. Harry turned to look at the aunt he had never understood, at least until he had seen the memories of Severus Snape.

"Yes Aunt Petunia" Harry said.

"I just………..I just……wanted to say………….I'm sorry. For everything." She said with great effort.

"Thank you" Harry replied.

"And………well………if you ever were nearby………or had nothing to do……..well I suppose it would be okay…..if you visited……..sometime. Just let me know beforehand. And not by owl please." She said.

Harry didn't answer, he didn't need to. He merely smiled at her and then spinning on the spot he apparated away.

Three Years later.

"Hurry up Harry" Seamus called up the stairs "or we're going to be late"

"I'm just coming, I just need to finish wrapping my present." Harry called back. Seamus shook his head and walked into the sitting room to find Neville in his best suit in fits of laughter as Dean tried with little success to get teddy to get down off his shoulders.

"Come on Teddy I said get down" Dean said in his best adult voice.

"Nope. This is fun" two year old Teddy said as he bounced on his adopted father's shoulders.

"Teddy Remus Lupin I said get down" Dean said but Teddy took no notice. By now Seamus and Harry, who had just come downstairs, had joined Neville in fits of laughter.

"Right" Dean said trying a different tone "you can stay up there. Fine by me. Though we are going to the Burrow by Floo Powder so I guess I'll just walk into this nice low fireplace." Dean took a few steps backwards and then purposefully walked towards the fireplace as if to step into it. Seamus had never seen Teddy move so fast as he scurried down his adopted dads torso to avoid being squashed against the wall above the fireplace.

"Much better" dean said as he bent down to straighten out his son's best clothes.

"You weren't really going to squash me against the wall were you dad?" Teddy said.

"Of course not but you still fell for it" Dean replied "have you go the present."

"Yep" Teddy replied pulling out a red wrapped package from his pocket. Harry ran up behind teddy and picked him up.

"Right then little man" he said to his Godson "let's go shall we." Neville poured the Floo Powder into the fire place and one by one they all stepped in.

Once they had all climbed out of the Burrow's fireplace they were greeted by a beaming Ron.

"Congratulations man" Harry said pulling his old friend into a hug "I can't believe your engaged."

"Mate neither can I" Ron said "Mum can't stop crying so you might want to watch it when you hug or you might get your dress robes wet. Spotting teddy he squatted down so he was at the same height as the three year old.

"Hey little man give me five" he said holding up his hand. Teddy swung and missed but got it the next time.

"Everyone else it out back" Ron said standing up again "you're the last to arrive as usual so you might have to fight to get near Hermione. Last I looked she was surrounded by like fifty women I've never even seen before wanting to look at the ring."

"We'll be careful" Seamus said with a laugh as they made their way outside.

The party went on for hours. Harry had to meet and greet an absolute ton of people, most of whom he knew but some he never seen before. He managed to find Ginny early on but as usual they couldn't find a moment to be alone. It was only when most of the guests had left that he managed to pull her to one side. He was so nervous. He had been planning this moment for years but now it was here he had no idea what to say.

"What is it?" Ginny said holding his hand and noticing how tense he was. Harry didn't answer but simply pulled a small box from his pocket and got down on one knee.

_Just the epilogue left now. We're nearly there people._


	25. Epilogue 19 and 34s Years Later

Epilogue- 19 and ¾'s Years Later

_Well here we are. It's been a great ride to write and I hope you have enjoyed the story. Thanks all the guys who have been so loyal with their reviewing you know who you are, I really appreciate the support. Don't worry I won't be gone for long. I'm gonna take a break for a month or two but then I shall return with a story which promises to be far bigger in scale and length than this, Harry Potter and the Book of Ancients. It happens between the end of Deathly Hallows and this epilogue and I have hidden some clues in here._

Hermione Weasley tidied away the remains of her husband's breakfast whilst looking out at the early signs of spring in their small garden. What with both of them working at the ministry they had decided that it was silly for them to live anywhere but London. It was a bit of a sacrifice though she thought to herself as she used her wand to move Ron's plate and glass over to the sink where they started to scrub themselves. Ron had been keen for the children to have the same space he had had as a child. Here they just had a tiny walled garden in which broomsticks were of course banned. They were also quite far from their friends and family most of whom lived in the country. Of course they were all connected to the floo network but to someone who very much still a bit muggle at heart like Hermione was it just wasn't the same. She sighed and moved upstairs to get ready. Ron should have been at home as well as they always had the day off for their annual trip to Hogwarts. However there had been reports of a new werewolf attack in Devon and he had had to go into the auror office. Hermione privately thanked her luck that she had recently transferred into the Department of Magical Law Enforcement as in her old position in Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures she would also have had to go in. She didn't doubt that Harry, Ron, Seamus and Dean would make their way to the school later.

"Are you ready to go Hugo?" she called into her son's room.

"Yep" came her sons muffled voice as he staggered out of his room struggling to pull a fluffy jumper over his head. Yanking it down Hermione smiled at her son who looked so much like his father it was scary.

"Why do I have to wear it mum? It's too small and it itches." He moaned his face all red and bothered.

"Because your grandma loves it when you where it okay. It's only for a few hours and then you can come home and wear whatever you want. Deal" she replied pulling the collar of his shirt out of his woollen jumper.

"Anything I want." Hugo said considering the possibilities "So if I wanted to I could just wear nothing at all?"

"No you have to actually wear clothes. But you don't have to wear the jumper okay." Hermione said with a laugh.

"Sure" he replied with a shrug.

When they got downstairs she took her pot of floo powder off the wall and threw some powder in the fire before stepping in and saying loudly,

"Green Vales Cottage" and then she was being sucked through the darkness before landing in Harry and Ginny's kitchen.

"Morning Hermione, morning Hugo" Ginny said walking into the kitchen.

"Morning Auntie Ginny" Hugo said after a nudge from his mother as he dusted himself off "where's Lily?"

"Out in the garden" Ginny replied and Hugo ran off to find his cousin.

"Don't get dirty" Hermione called after him as he raced away. She took a seat at the kitchen table as Ginny poured made them some coffee.

"Did Ron get Harry's owl?" Ginny asked Hermione.

"Yes he left straight away" Hermione replied "did he call of three of them in?"

"Yeah he thought it good to be safe. Sugar?" Ginny said handing Hermione her coffee.

"No thanks. So did he know how long they would be?" Hermione asked.

"He thought it probably wasn't anything major, if it was true at all. But ever since the crisis two years ago he doesn't like taking any chances with anything. That was how it started then after all. Werewolf attack." Ginny replied absent mindedly stirring her coffee.

"Hopefully it will be nothing and they will get there on time." Neither of them said anything for a moment. It had been a worrying time for them both, the crisis of two years ago. But then that's what you get when you are married to an auror.

"I suppose we'd better get those two to my parents" Ginny said as Lily and Hugo raced past them laughing their heads off.

"Hugo, Lily. It's time to go to see your grandparents" Hermione called and the two kids ran back into the kitchen. Hermione assessed her son's condition and was glad to see that he had not managed to get any mud on his jumper.

After staying at the Burrow for a good half hour Ginny and Hermione excused themselves saying that they really had to go and apparated to Hogsmead. They walked the road to Hogwarts in silence and once through the gates they made their way up to the familiar spot. Waiting by the graveyard were Neville Longbottom, Pavarti Patil, Lavender Brown, Ernie and Hannah Macmillan, George and Angelina Weasley, Luna Scamander, Roger and Cho Davies, Demelza Robbins, Dennis Creavey and Anthony Goldstein.

"Where are the others?" Neville asked as they got closer.

"They were called in to the office." Hermione replied.

"Anything serious?" Pavarti asked a scared look on her face.

"I don't know" Ginny replied with a shrug. "Harry didn't think so. He just wanted to be sure is all."

"Shall we wait a bit then?" Lavender asked.

"I think so" Neville replied "Let's give them half an hour." They all stood around in silence in the sharp spring air. It wasn't that they had nothing to talk about. They had become quite a tight group since the war. But these reunions were solemn affairs and the absence of the aurors from the group was causing them to worry as well. They needn't have fretted though. Within ten minutes they could make out four figures walking through the grounds towards them.

Harry and Ron were at the front talking quickly their heads bowed, but they were smiling and that was a good sign. Seamus followed behind holding Dean's arm. The group could just about make out what they were saying.

"For the last time I don't need you to lead me Seamus" Dean's cross voice sounded out through the air "I'm an auror for goodness sakes."

"Yeah well that's what I was saying. We should make it seem like you need someone to lead you around as a kind of cover. You know to fool spies." The Irishman replied.

"You're such an idiot" Dean said wrenching his arm away from his friend and striding after his two auror colleagues.

"You see that's your problem mate" Seamus replied "you're not thinking like a secret agent."

"Well I'm not a secret agent am I" Dean said "I'm an auror and everyone knows it."

"Hmmm you have a point." Seamus replied with a laugh breaking into a run to catch up with the others.

"False alarm everyone" Harry said warmly as he arrived "turned out the werewolf was just a particularly hairy bum. We still had to check it out though." Now that everyone was here they all started to chat away to each other.

"I wish I could see it again" Dean said turning his head in the direction where Seamus said the castle was "one more time."

"How are they?" Hermione asked gazing at the strip of cloth which wound around Dean's scarred face, where she knew his now useless eyes lay.

"The upside is they don't hurt anymore" Dean said. "The downside of course is that they still don't work either. You don't think you could try and……"

"I'm sorry Dean" Hermione said knowing what he was going to say "I've already tried everything I know. It was an ancient curse."

"I know. Might as well ask though." He said turning his head in the direction of her voice.

"Still mate" came Seamus' voice from next to Dean "there are upsides. This way you can't see what I get up to with Gabriel."

"Oh Seamus that's harsh" Dean said with a laugh.

"What? You married a right hottie, what am I supposed to do. I'm a man aren't I" Seamus said ducking under Dean's fist as it swung.

"You see it's attitudes like that which are why you haven't got a wife Seamus" Ginny said with a smile. Seamus turned towards his cousin with a fake angelic look on his face.

"I'm only 36. You can't expect me to settle down yet. There's too much fun to be had."

"All right" Ginny said with a wry smile "but I bet you wouldn't be saying that if things had turned out better with Lavender would you."

"No well they didn't did they" Seamus said keen to move the conversation elsewhere.

"Everyone……Everyone………PEOPLE" Neville over the talk. They all fell silent.

Everyone walked to the area just in front of the graves and stood in a big line facing the still perfect white tombstones.

"Okay five minutes starts now" Neville said and they stood there in perfect silence for five whole minutes. This was their yearly ritual, it never changed and neither did their hearts. They still shed tears for those they had lost all those years ago. When the five minutes were up Hermione raised her wand as she did every year and over fifty identical rose bouquet's appeared in mid air and drifted slowly down to rest at the end of each of the graves. Suddenly there was a loud crack next to them, just as there was every year, and they all turned to see Kreacher standing before them, just as they did every year.

"Dinner is ready for you and your friends Master Harry" Kreacher said bowing low. Then as a group they slowly made their way up to that familiar castle where many of their children were currently learning the same lessons they once had. They all smiled at this point, every year, for each one of them was recognizing that this what they had fought for all those years before, this was what their friends had died for. And for those next few hours as they ate and had fun together they all had the exact same feeling. All was well.

_I'm going all teary eyed. This has been a gargantuan task for me as it was the first piece of fiction I have ever written that was more than two pages long and I have enjoyed it immensely. If you have any questions about the making of the story and about anything that happens in the story or even any comments on the story as a whole please feel free to ask me through the reviews page or pm's. If I get lots I will post an FAQ as a new chapter. Otherwise enjoy the Christmas period and I shall see you all in the New Year for my next Harry Potter adventure._

_I just have a few short words to say before I leave you. And here they are __Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!_


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